Claymore: Ghosts of the Past
by DarkSwordMage
Summary: This is a Claymore based story that details what happens to a group of ill fated half human, half Yoma warriors 2-3 generations 14 years before Teresa's generation. Since they make warriors once every 7 years, it'll be at least 14 years, if not 21
1. Chapter 1

(Well, this is something that just popped into my head a while ago, I've got this written for like 7 or 8 chapters, and I wrote it a WHILE ago. For those of you reading this that favorited me as an author thanks to the Demon In the Hyuga Clan, I'll say that Chapter 24 is at my beta, though he's away from home for a week or so, so it'll be about a week from the day this is posted before I can post it. Finally, for those of you curious as to what this about, read up on the general universe of the Claymore manga. The anime got me into it, and the manga is awesome. This story takes place a few generations before Teresa's Generation, so it doesn't involve any of the manga characters, like Chronicles of Tsuzaku does for Naruto.)

Chapter 1: Ghosts of the Past…

The Village of Bast, near the sea of Nefil…

They made a request over 3 days ago for Yoma extermination, and apparently their situation with the demon has only worsened, as they've requested a more and more powerful slayer with each passing day…

It's my job to slay the demon living off of the inhabitants of the village, and then be on my way…

_Nothing to it…_

My name is Lucia, and I'm a half human, half Yoma hybrid created by an organization that lives off of hunting and killing Yoma, creatures that prey and feed on human innards. Because of the process through which Yoma blood and flesh is imbued into a human body, we're feared by humans, and have gained the nickname 'Claymore' due to the large swords we carry in combat, which normal people cannot wield effectively, but we're able to swing with a single hand.

Like all other 'Claymores' I have silver hair and eyes, and I carry a large claymore sword into combat. I wear the standard uniform that all other Claymore wear, and my symbol is that of a star surrounded in a circle, a pentagram…

My form is fairly common for a Claymore, my hair long, though tied back at the nape of my neck with a thong to keep it out of my eyes. My arms are slender and so are my legs, which is normal for an average woman. I wear the standard uniform that all other Claymores wear, my sword at my back.

Anyway, I'm here at the village of Bast, having walked the last 3 days to get here, I come upon the town in the middle of the day, with the people strewn about the main street, going about their business. I approach from the south end of the road, and as I walk, my feet clank lightly from the metal boots I wear and people notice quickly…

The villagers are nothing more then that, simple people living their simple lives. Upon seeing me, many of them gasp, most just mutter amongst themselves…

"A Claymore, what's it doing here?"

"Did they really need to call one of those Silver Eyed Witches?"

"They brought another monster to kill a monster…"

I shrug it off, and I look around with my eyes, and it seems the people of this town do fear me, as all of them cringe when I look at them, and quickly look away, as if looking at me the wrong way will cause me to draw my blade…

"Fools…" I mutter, and I look ahead to see three villagers standing in the middle of the street.

The one in the center holds a large black bag in both arms, and the two behind him appear nervous. All of them wear simple clothing, and the one in the center appears far older then the other two, with a heavy gray beard and nearly bald, while the other two look young, maybe in their twenties…

_What's this?_

I stop when I'm less then a foot in front of them, and the leader laughs nervously…

"Um, this is the money that was demanded of us by the person we talked to…" He begins, handing a large black sack with a tied drawstring toward me.

"Keep it…" I begin. "A man in black will come to collect the money afterward." I tell him. "If I fail to slay the Yoma, then you don't have to pay."

"Oh…" The older man says, looking surprised.

He pulls the bag back toward him, and I turn around, my small cape fluttering as I take in the buildings, the simple stone buildings having gotten tall with this village's proximity to the sea, and the amount of trade that location brings in…

"Excuse me…" He begins as I start to walk forward. "What are you doing?"

Without skipping a step, and without looking behind me, I respond.

"My job." I say simply.

"Oh…" I hear him respond, with some reservation in his voice…

_I knew it…_

I raise my right foot, as if to take a step, with my hands at my sides. I go to put my foot down, and my right arm comes up, grasping the hilt of the blade on my back, I draw the sword in a smooth, well practiced motion and spin around, my eyes locking on the man in the center of the triangular shaped welcoming committee.

"Found you!" I yell as I charge forward, swinging the blade with a single hand.

The sword comes down, and I feel resistance, and I see the bag in mid air, my blade having sliced it in half, the contents spilling out as the black cloth separates, the gold pieces falling to the ground…

You'd think money spilling like it does would cause a commotion, people scrambling for it, trying desperately to get even one small cylinder, but instead, none of them move, and those that are left stare in awe as I stand there, my sword at my side.

_Fairly fast for a Yoma, shouldn't have toyed with him…_

The two younger men look at me as I stand there, and I don't even look at them before they take off running down the street, screaming in terror…

_Oh no…_

I only see it a moment before it happens, the Yoma shooting up out of the ground like a subterranean monster, grasping a leg on each of the younger men, and taking them into the air as it holds the men by their ankles, the humans screaming in terror as the Yoma floats there, its purple body and long arms complimenting its large wings sticking out of its back…

"Now what will you do Claymore?" It asks, looking down at me as I stare up at it with calm eyes. "You can't cut me while I'm up here, and if you throw your sword at me, I'll make sure it goes through at least one of these men!"

I give no response, not even a shift of annoyance, which is the only emotion I feel toward the threat…

My hand tightens on the hilt, Yoki surrounding my arm and the sword itself…

"You know, against anyone else, you might have had a chance…"

I swing the sword upward with lightning speed, the blade moving directly in front of him, the path of the slash cutting him in half…

"What will that do?" It begins, and then, blood spurts from a thin line going up the center of the Yoma's body, the demon body separating and then falling with a wet disgusting sound…

Both of the men yell out in terror, suddenly falling down toward the ground at an increasing speed. I move quickly, my actions a blur to anything but a trained eye. I run toward and leap off of a nearby peddler's cart, leaping into the air. I catch both men on their descent, one over each shoulder, my sword sheathed at my back. I kick off a building that lines the street, and come to a landing in the middle of the road, kneeling as I hit the ground to absorb some of the impact. The two men rest on my shoulders, having stopped screaming and passed out from fear…

I set each body down one at a time, laying them on the road, and then I stand up, looking around for any other Yoma that may be present. I can no longer feel the presence of any Yoki other then my own, and the town is completely quiet, to the point that you could hear a pin drop…

The wind blows, making an eerie whistle as the people stand in awe at what just happened…

"That's a Claymore…"

"The Yoma didn't stand a chance…"

"And she even saved those two men!"

_So, now I'm not it, I'm 'she' huh?_

I look down at the two of them, and I can tell they're going to be fine, they lack any wounds or injuries, and the Yoma did nothing more other then give them a scare…

_Next time, I'll have to use that power earlier, if I'd have done that from the beginning, I wouldn't have had to exert the extra effort of saving these worthless fools…_

"Um, excuse me…" I hear a woman's voice from behind me, and I turn around to see an older woman dressed like all the others in this town, this woman wearing blue clothing, with a bonnet on her head.

"What do you want?" I ask coldly, and I can see sadness in the woman's eyes…

"My husband was the man who was going to give you the money, does that mean…" She begins, not wanting to say it.

"He was eaten…" I say for her. "Probably several days ago, without you noticing…" I tell her. "The Yoma ate his brain and absorbed all of his memories and used them to deceive you while he planned for his next meal."

"Oh…" She says in grief, grasping her hands to her face, and I see tears form in her eyes.

"It isn't uncommon." I tell her with no emotion. "Yoma commonly do that to hide, and thanks to their shape shifting ability, they can hide for weeks while planning a meal." I explain. "Be happy that I slayed it before it had the chance to eat you."

She continues to cry, in spite of my words, and I just shrug, turning toward the south end of the road, and I start down it, walking toward the village limits without a care in the world…

_Job is over; now let's get out of here…_

I leave the town without incident, and after I walk for half a day, I stop in my tracks, now completely surrounded by trees and forest…

"What do you want, Lucifer?" I ask, looking up into the tree where the black clad man sits on the branch, looking down at me.

He wears all black, with a mask that leaves only his blue eyes visible, even his hair is covered, though he is around my height, and from what I can see through the clothing, he's somewhat muscular, but nowhere near even a strong human's level…

"You did that rather quickly." He says, slipping off the branch and landing on the ground on both feet, keeping his knees straight. "Judging from the repeated requests, the organization believed that it might be a Voracious Eater living within the town…"

I raise my eyebrows, scoffing lightly.

"And if it was?" I ask.

"You would've been killed." He says simply. "And with your death, we would've known it was a Voracious Eater, and sent a force of warriors." He tells me. "Along with raising our rate…"

I shake my head.

"Whatever…" I begin. "What's my next job?"

I see his face contort behind the mask…

"You've been rather busy as of late, for the last month and a half, you've been doing constant jobs, and you don't seem fazed by it."

I shake my head.

"You made me what I am so I could kill Yoma, and that's what I've been doing, so what's my next job?"

"You don't have one, at least, not until the day after tomorrow." He tells me. "We won't have the exact meeting place until then, so you've got some time off until I contact you again."

I shrug.

"Whatever…" I begin. "You'll know where to find me."

He nods and then leaves, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, leaving me to my own devices. In nearly half an hour, I have a fire set up, and a camp sight going…

I stab my sword into the ground and then I sit down in front of it, putting my back against the Claymore blade, crossing my arms over my chest, and sighing heavily…

_I've had a long day, and with everything I've been doing these last couple of days, you'd think I'd enjoy this time off, but I wish that Lucifer had given me another job, something to keep me occupied…_

I sit there with my eyes closed, hearing the crackling and popping of the fire as I lean against the sword. I listen for a short time, and then, my senses pick up on something, a slight rustle of the bushes nearby, and I open my eyes, instantly locking my gaze toward the source of the noise. The noise doesn't repeat itself, but already I can see a figure in the darkness…

"I don't know who you are, but I haven't sensed any Yoki nearby, which means you aren't a Yoma, so come out before I decide to cut you down."

A figure emerges from the darkness, and what emerges in a young girl a few years younger then I am, wearing tattered clothes, without even socks or shoes, her hair unkempt and dirty, her eyes green and clear…

"What do you want?" I ask in distaste, closing my eyes and looking away from her.

"You're the Claymore that killed the Yoma in Bast, aren't you?"

I scoff, not sensing even a small amount of Yoki from her, and no scent of Yoma on the girl, only the stink of human body odor…

"So what if I am?" I ask her.

There's a long silence, and I open my right eye and look at the girl with one eye, seeing her standing there, her fingers balled into fists, her hands gently shaking.

"I want you to take me with you." She says. "Teach me how to be a Claymore like you!"

I scoff again, exhaling through my nose as I lean my head back against the sword.

"You don't know what you're saying." I say simply. "Go home."

I hear her growl under her breath, and I know that she doesn't want to hear what I just told her.

"I don't have a home…" She says. "So I have nowhere to go to."

I shake my head.

"If you want to become a Claymore, then you need to talk to the Organization, not me."

She shakes her head.

"I don't know about any organization or anything like that." She tells me. "My only chance is if you let me come with you."

"Listen…" I begin, opening my eyes and looking at the dark haired human girl. "You don't want the power I have. You have no idea what it cost me to gain this power, and what it takes from me every day." I tell her. "People fear me, and we can never be a part of society, we can never have any friends or family, we are eternally alone, simply waiting until we reach our limits, and then we're killed by other people like us." I tell her. "It isn't an end you want to happen to you."

She shakes her head.

"You've got power and strength, and you can forge your own path with your power, you can do whatever you want!"

I shake my head slowly, sighing heavily.

Her words ring in my head a moment and I remember something from long ago, those same words being uttered…

I shake my head to clear it, at the same time disagreeing with her.

"You've got it all wrong." I tell her. "If we defy the organization, they send other warriors after us like we're criminals."

"Then you just have to cut them down with your power!" She says. "You're stronger then any human could possibly be why not just cut them down as well can't you?"

I sigh heavily.

"You just don't get it, do you?" I ask. "ALL Claymores are like me, they all have the same strength I do, and cutting them down isn't as easy as you think it is."

"But…" She mutters, and I cut her off.

"My life isn't something you want." I tell her. "At least you can try and find a family, someone who will care about you and love you, but I can NEVER have any of that, I can never have a place, the organization won't let me." I tell her. "I belong to the organization; they have made me into their tool, and nothing else."

"I don't have any choice…" She mutters. "I don't have a home, and my family was eaten by that Yoma that you killed." She says. "So please, take me with you."

I shake my head no.

"All I can do for you is let you stay with me tonight, because tomorrow I'm going to get another job, and more then likely I'll have to travel a great distance and then fight, something a human can't do." I tell her. "So, you can't follow me."

"But…" She begins, and I cut her off with a stern glare.

"Just don't follow me." I tell her. "You've got the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, and I don't, so enjoy the feeling, and do whatever you want to do, I honestly don't care." I finish. "Just do whatever you want, either way, I'm going to sleep now, and I have a long day tomorrow."

I close my eyes, and I feel sleep come quickly…

_We're trained to sleep practically on command, so it's no wonder…_

The next morning, I hear the sounds of nature coming to life, and I open my eyes to see the fire in front of me has died, leaving only a lump of ashes in the shape of the sticks I used to fuel the fire. I look around, and I see the human girl lying on the bare ground, and I shake my head.

_Do you see now you stupid woman? This is the only kind of life that I can even hope to offer you…_

With my armor lying on the ground, I put the armor back on, and then sheath the blade on the back, the sword resting under the small cape hanging from my shoulders. I walk away from the camp site, and after maybe 20 feet, I feel someone approach me, and I stop and turn toward the source of the feeling, and I see Lucifer standing there, cloaked in black.

"What's my job, Lucifer?" I ask.

He smirks behind the mask, I can tell from the way his cheeks move.

"Walk west for 2 days straight, and you'll find a small town at the base of some mountains." He tells me. "You should be able to find the others assigned to this job once you arrive at the town, and they have all the information you need." He says.

He reaches into his clothes, and tugs something there, and withdraws a blue envelope, handing it toward me.

"This is from the Elder council, it's sealed with their seal, and you can tell that it came straight from them, I didn't open it."

I nod as I accept the envelope, and he looks me over.

"Well then, you have your orders." He says, and he disappears into the forest.

I turn and I walk away, holding the envelope in my right hand as I walk. After I walk for nearly half a day, I open the sealed envelope, and I unfold the paper containing the special orders from the Elder Council…

I read the paper in front of me, and once I've finished reading the orders, I close the envelope, drawing the sword into my right hand, I hold the envelope in my left, and hold it high in the air. I release the envelope and pull my hand back, my eyes following the envelope as it slowly falls, and my sword arm flies in front of me, dicing the envelope into such small pieces that it would be nearly impossible for you to put the pieces back together…

_Good, now that that's taken care of…_

I sheath the sword and I start forward, feeling the sun begin to rise in the sky. My boots gently clank against the ground, and I keep walking in silence, my mind relatively blank, part of me looking forward to the job ahead of me, and another part of me wondering about the human woman I left at the camp site, and then I shake my head.

_What does it matter what I did to that human woman? What I did was the right thing; she wanted to follow me and try to be like me. What she can't seem to understand is that she doesn't want to be like me, and that my life is nothing but killing and fighting and more fighting and killing, how can you possibly desire this life?_

A stirring behind me pulls me from my thoughts, and I stop and turn around, seeing the smaller branches shifting and moving as someone moves through them. My hand drifts to the sword as I stare into the forest, and a familiar figure emerges through the bushes…

"No way…" I mutter in disbelief.

The girl that chased me from Bast earlier emerges through the bushes, and as she stumbles through the foliage, my hand leaves the hilt of my sword and I shake my head slowly.

"What are you doing here?" I ask in disbelief.

She breathes heavily, as if she's been moving for a long time, and hasn't even taken the time to stop for a moment to catch her breath…

"I finally found you…" She mutters through strained breaths.

I put my back to her.

"I told you not to follow me." I say simply. "It looks like you're close to the limit of your ability now, while I can keep on walking." I tell her.

I start walking, and the girl starts following me. I can feel her eyes locked on my back. I hear her footsteps against the dirt path, and I keep walking, knowing that sooner or later this girl is going to fall over and pass out, and she'll no longer be my problem…

_No one has seen me with this girl, so I doubt the rule about not killing humans will apply, since I haven't actually killed any humans, I'm just allowing her to pass out and die, that's all…_

I hear her breathing start to get heavier, and I keep walking, knowing that soon, her legs are going to give out…

"You're at your limit…" I tell her. "Just stop now and rest." I suggest to her. "After you rest, you can go wherever you want to go, find a village somewhere, and a family that will take you in."

I hear her groan in pain, and I hear her feet slip on the ground, and I know that she's just lost the ability to stand. I hear her grunt, and I feel something tug on the cape, shortly before I hear a thump like noise, and when I attempt to step forward, the armor tugs at the cape…

I turn around and see her clutching onto the cape that hangs on my back, and now she's on her hands and knees, breathing heavily, her face toward the ground.

I slap her hand away, and then I drive my left foot into her chest, hearing her groan in pain as the force of my kick forces her to shift onto her left side.

"I told you not to follow me, and I tried to be nice." I say simply. "But, if you refuse to listen then I'll just use pain to convince you."

She looks up at me with desperation and sadness in her eyes, clutching her chest since my armored foot landed between her bosoms.

"Why…" She mutters; her voice raspy.

I look down at her with cold, emotionless eyes.

"You just don't get it, do you?" I ask her. "Being a Claymore isn't fun, and it isn't something people want to be." I say simply. "You constantly battle the Yoma part of your body, and if you give in, you become what you kill." I tell her. "You seek out prey and you slaughter them, consuming their families and their friends."

"Please…" She mutters, still holding the cape as I look down at her. "I just…"

I kick her in the face and interrupt her statement, knowing that she's going to say something, and I end up knocking her out with the kick. I watch as her body goes limp, and I pull my cape from her hand, knowing that now I can finally get away from her…

"Good riddance…" I mutter.

I turn away from her and I walk away. I walk for nearly an hour, and then I stop, my thoughts sticking on the unconscious girl I left behind me…

_Crap, why the hell am I even thinking about that girl? She tried to follow me and I stopped her, so what if I left her unconscious and hungry in the middle of the forest alone and cold?_

I growl to myself as I turn around and I start back toward the site where I left the unconscious girl. I move at a quicker pace, nearly running this time, and I cover the distance in half the time, coming onto the site as I see several male bandits in the area, all staring down at the unconscious girl…

"Well, well, well, look at this girl, all alone in the forest…" One of them says.

As I move closer, the three of them turn around, and I can see that all of them wear leather armor with simple swords on their backs. One is bald, and two of them have short dark hair. One of them has an eye patch over his left eye, and a rough beard on his face…

"What the hell?" He asks, looking me over as I stop near them, my sword resting on my back.

I reach up, grasping the blade, and drawing it from my back, and then flipping the blade in my hand toward the ground, and stab the blade there, taking my hand away as the three men look on…

"What do you want?" The Bald one asks.

"Leave the girl and clear out of here." I tell them. "…Or face the consequences…"

They eye me carefully, and then one of them raises their eyes when they look at my face…

"Hey Boss…" The normal looking one begins. "This is one of those Silver Eyed Witches, a Claymore!"

The one with the eye patch looks at me with his good eye, and I see him smile.

"Hmmm…" He begins, walking toward the girl lying there, and grabbing her by the hair. "Let's have our fun with this bitch." He finally says.

I stand there, my arms at my sides, my hands balled into fists.

"But Boss, she said…" The Bald one begins.

"I know what she said." The leader cuts him off. "But what she said was just an idle threat, she can't hurt us, or else she'd risk her own people turning on her and lopping her own head off."

I see both of the henchmen raise their eyebrows.

"Really…" The normal looking one says.

The leader nods.

"Yeah, it's the one iron clad rule that Claymores have to adhere to." He explains. "It proves that they will always be on the side of humans."

I smirk.

"You don't know what you're talking about…" I say simply.

I charge forward, my eyes locked on the leader holding the young girl in his right hand. He drops the girl immediately and goes for the sword at his waist. He swings it as he draws the sword, and I grasp it with both hands, clasping the blade harmlessly between my hands. I lean back to grab the sword, and after I've got a hold on the blade, I drive my right foot into the man's chest, and I hear him groan as my armored boot goes into his rib cage. He groans in pain, and the force of my blow knocks him backward. The other two go for their blades, and I move with roughly a quarter of my speed. I hit the second one so quickly that he doesn't even know what hit him as he falls backward, and the last one left standing looks at the two of his fallen comrades, and then looks at me.

"You did all this, without even using a sword?"

I smirk.

"I'd suggest you take your friends and leave, before I get serious, and show you what a Claymore can really do!" I tell him.

He drops his blade, grabbing one comrade under each arm, and then giving me a scarred glance, he takes off in fear, leaving the swords of his comrades laying on the ground, the girl on her back, apparently unconscious…

"Figures, humans are so weak…" I mutter.

I walk over to my sword and pull it from the ground, and then I sheath the blade on my back. I walk to the human girl, and I see her begin to stir, and she looks up at me as I stand over her.

"You…saved…" She begins, and then passes out again.

"My, my…" I mutter, scooping her up and throwing the girl over my shoulder.

_Have to get her to a town, once there I can get her some medical treatment, food and water, everything she should need to survive._

I start back toward my original objective. I walk straight through the night and into the next day, and the human girl does not stir from her unconscious state. I curse to myself as my nose picks up the scent of water and the faint sound of a river, and I run toward it, coming upon a knee high river gently flowing through the forest. I set her down on the river bank, and I dunk her head under the water.

A few seconds later, I see bubbles begin to come up to the surface, and her body begins to writhe. I pull my hand away and her head comes up, gasping for air as if it's her first breath in the world…

She gasps for air, and then looks up at me.

"You're really annoying, you know that girl?" I ask her, crossing my arms and looking down at her.

"You…" She mutters, and I glare down at her.

"You're lucky, you know that?" I ask her. "If I hadn't shown up when I did, you would've been raped by a bunch of bandits."

She looks at me with grateful eyes, and I sigh heavily.

"Look, I don't know why I did what I did, so don't think that I've suddenly grown attached to you or anything." I tell her. "After I get to this town I'm headed to, we go our separate ways; you got that?"

The girl sighs, looking down at the river and seeing her reflection in it, with me standing over her, my arms crossed over my chest.

"I understand…" She says with some regret in her voice.

"Good…" I mutter, looking over my left shoulder.

I draw the blade and send the sword flying into the forest. The blade spins, and it makes a whooshing noise as it spins end over end, and the noise stops shortly after a wet sounding noise. I walk into the forest, pulling the sword from the body of the small animal, and I pick up the dead animal, coming out of the forest and handing it toward her.

"Here, eat this…" I tell her. "You'll probably have to cook it first, but you can eat it, right?" I ask.

The girl nods, and quite quickly she sets up a camp site and a fire, I skin the animal as she sets up a rack made of twigs, setting it up to cook the animal over the flames. I watch as she meticulously arranges the twigs, and then takes the skinned animal from me as I sheath the sword on my back. I start to take the metal armor off of my body, and before long I'm wearing only the white shirt and pants, the armor piled neatly in a small pile. I sit down, stabbing the blade into the ground and leaning against it like so many other Claymores do as I wait for her to cook her meal, and then she starts eating it, chomping on it like it's the first good meal she's had in days…

"By the way…" I begin. "You absolutely stink; when you finish eating, take a bath in the river." I tell her. "Make sure you wash those clothes as well."

The girl just nods, chewing on the meat, and then she stops, handing me part of the carcass…

I look at it, and then I shake my head.

"That's all for you." I tell her. "I only need to eat a small amount about once a week, so I'm not hungry."

She looks at me for a second, and then nods, going back to work at the animal meat.

_How can they eat like that? I've been a Claymore for as long as I can remember, so I don't even know how anyone could eat that much food so often. Humans need to eat at least 2 or even 3 times a day, when we hardly ever eat in comparison…_

I watch her as she finishes eating the meat, and then burps, but she tries to suppress it.

"You don't need to worry about trying to impress me or act politely around me." I tell her simply. "We aren't going to be together long, and once I find a suitable town or village for you to live in, that will be the end of our time together."

She looks at me, and I see sadness in her eyes.

"Do you promise to find me a home?" She asks a begging tone to her voice.

"Will you shut up if I say yes?" I ask, sounding heavily annoyed, my voice betraying the emotion I feel.

She nods.

"All right then…" I begin. "I promise to find you a home, okay?"

She nods again, this time with a happier mood.

"All right, it's a promise then." She says smiling.

I sigh in frustration.

"Now, would you please take a bath?" I ask. "You still stink, and you said you would."

She nods, and she gets up, pulling the rags that served as her clothing over her head, revealing her scarred form underneath the rags. She walks into the river, and I watch as she gets into the river, and starts to wash her body, dipping the clothes in the river and washing them, then dunking her entire body in the water, she cleans herself as best she can, and then puts the wet clothes over an arm, and I sigh in frustration, shaking my head as she gets out of the water…

She walks over to me, pulling the rack that had served to cook the animals and using it as a drying rack, hanging her clothes on it, near the open flame, using the heat to dry them…

"At least you know that much…" I mutter as I close my eyes.

I can hear the gentle shifting of the ground as she sits down over the crackle and pop of the fire, and I open my left eye to see her sitting near the flame, her hands across her chest, her knees near her face, in an attempt to keep warm.

"I don't have any spare clothes for you." I say in consolidation. "So you're going to have to keep warm like that until your clothes are dry."

She just nods once, and I see that she's living up to the request I made of her.

_Good, at least she finally got quiet…_

She watches the fire with both eyes, and I can see memories playing before her eyes, as if she's watching the flame, but at the same time, remembering something from long ago, and completely caught up in the memory. I just close my eyes and I think about my job, and what's ahead of me…

_The orders said there was an awakened one in the mountains near the town of Hyle, and that it's killed anyone who dares to set foot into the mountain range, trying to pass through to the other side. A single Claymore was dispatched when the organization believed it to be a normal Yoma. When she did not return, and more information came to light, it was decided that we were dealing with an Awakened One, and would need at least 4 Claymores to slay it…_

_The Village is at least a day from here, traveling by human time, if I were to leave her behind; I could make it there by mid day tomorrow. However, because I've got this girl here I can't travel at my fastest pace, because normal humans can't deal with it…_

"By the way…" I begin, opening my eyes. "You never told me your name, what is it?" I ask the girl.

She blinks, and I see her start in surprise, as if she didn't think that I would ask her a question like that. She looks down as if to try and cover the fact that I surprised her, and then meets my gaze.

"My name is Kina." She says.

"Kina…" I mutter. "I'm Lucia."

With that, we've both introduced ourselves, and I nod once.

"Good…" I begin. "Now that I know what to call you, things won't be so awkward."

I close my eyes again, and I shift my weight against the ground.

_Hopefully, once I reach Hyle, I'll be able to pawn her off onto someone that will be able to give her a good life, and take care of her the way she deserves, not be drug around like some doll, following a Silver Eyed Witch that kills demons for a living…_

I open my left eye and look at her with it, and I see her sitting there, staring at the fire again, and I shake my head slowly, closing my left eye as I lean back against the blade.

"We're rising early tomorrow, so make sure you get some sleep tonight."

_I blew this whole damn day today, I'm going to be late, no matter what I do, the least I can do is get there only a day or two late, before the Awakened One catches on that Claymore are coming to kill it…_

I relax in my sleep, and I drift off into sleep, letting go of every care in world as I lean back against the sword…

I don't sleep long, and when I open my eyes, twilight has begun, and the day will begin soon. I look to where Kina was when I fell asleep, and I see she hasn't moved an inch since I went to sleep, now wearing the clothes she cleaned, she lays on the ground, her head on her hands. I shake my head at this, and I stand up, stretching my body, I slowly put the armor back on, completing my uniform and giving her a few extra minutes rest. After I finish with the metal armor, I pull the sword from the ground and slide it into place on my back, and then I walk over to her, around the charred remains of what had been our fire the night before, and I shake her gently.

"Wake up, we're leaving soon." I tell her.

She groans and mumbles something, and a second later, comes to full awareness as she sits up, seeing that I'm dressed and ready to go, she looks around nervously, as if expecting to see bandits or something that came for us in the night.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask calmly. "You act like I wasn't going to be here in the morning…

I see her release a breath through her nose, and she nods.

"The way you've been treating me, I thought for sure that you'd leave me in the night alone." She says. "I tried to stay up as late as I could, and I don't even remember falling asleep."

I shake my head in frustration, letting out a sigh of my own.

"I said I'd find you a home." I tell her. "I have no reason to lie, nor do I." I tell her. "So you should've gotten some sleep. We're going to be walking a lot today, and if you're not fully rested, then you're going to slow me down."

She shakes her head.

"I won't slow you down, I promise."

I shake my head slowly.

"I need to make up for lost time, so…" I begin, turning around and kneeling down. "Hop on my back, and I'll carry you."

I see her eyes go wide.

"What?" She asks in surprise.

"We need to travel all day and all night to get to the village." I tell her. "You can't do that on your own power, so I have to carry you, so climb on."

She does so, wrapping her arms around my neck, and I feel her slide her knees around me and loop them around me. I grab the outside of her thighs to give her support, and then I stand up, my strong body not even struggling under the added weight.

"You sure you can do this?" She asks.

I nod.

"I've carried heavier things then you before, you don't need to worry." I tell her. "Just relax and catch up on your sleep, by the time you wake up, we'll probably be at Hyle."

She nods and puts her head against my back, and I start walking, feeling a tingling feeling in my chest at the thought of this girl clinging to me like this, and carrying her like a child…

_No, this girl is not my child; she is nothing but a human who has caused me nothing but problems in the short time that I've known her! So why is that I feel this tingling sensation inside of me when I think about carrying her like this? Why do I even bother caring about her? She's nothing but a poor human girl that can't seem to do anything important for herself, so why?_

I shake my head and clear it, and I focus on walking, putting one foot in front of the other, and I focus on where I'm going, and what I have to do when I get there…

3 hours later, I stand within sight of the village of Hyle.

Hyle is a village that was built at the base of a set of three mountains. The village itself has several mines that dig into the mountains, mining the natural resources of the mountains as trade items. From what I've heard, the Village's major business comes from the trade of precious minerals mined from within the mountain to other villages. According to the organization, 3 months ago a group of miners left for the mines and never returned. The search party that went looking for them also vanished without a trace. It was during the third rescue attempt that bloodstains on the ground were found, and they knew it was a Yoma. They called a Claymore, the warrior assigned to this area responded, and she came to the town, and then went into the mountains. She disappeared, and the organization decided that it must be an Awakened One, and sent myself and three other warriors to the town to solve the problem…

"Hey, Kina, we're here." I say simply, shaking the girl resting on my back.

I hear her yawn, and her head moves away from my back, and she leans forward, peeking over my right shoulder.

"Wow, you travel fast."

I kneel down, motioning for her to get off of me.

"Claymores travel quickly, we don't waste time, and we're capable of traveling faster then a human can." I tell her as she gets onto her own two feet. "Since I was carrying you, I was slowed slightly, but I still made it here late."

When she's finally off of me, I stand up straight, and she looks me over with a concerned look.

"You're late?" She asks, concern filling her voice.

I nod.

"I was given the order nearly 3 days ago, I was supposed to arrive in this town yesterday, which I spent helping you."

"Sorry…" She mutters.

I shrug.

"It doesn't matter, anyway…" I begin, looking toward the mountain. "The Yoma is still in the mountain, probably waiting for more miners to attempt the dangerous trip to work the mines." I say simply.

"What now?" She asks, and I look at her.

"Let's go." I say simply. "First, you get some better clothes, and then I'll get you a room in a local Inn."

Fortunately, Kina isn't picky when it comes to what she wears, and I find this out as I take her to the local shop. She picks out a simple sleeveless top and matching skirt, with a pair of sturdy boots, all of the clothing made of tanned and dyed animal hide. The clothes fit snugly against her relatively young frame, and I buy her a comb, telling her to comb her hair, since it's probably never been done…

That ritual alone takes 20 minutes, and when that's done, the two of us head to a local Inn.

"Um, how are we going to pay for this?" She asks, putting her fingers together nervously. "I don't have any money."

"The Organization gives us all a monthly allotment of money, incase we need to stay in a town for an extended period of time during a job." I tell her. "I have three month's allotments saved, so you needn't worry about it."

We go inside the simple Inn, and I can tell that the place is nearly empty. The person behind the front desk is an older man, with a dark beard that's well trimmed, and wearing simple clothing. He sees Kina and I, and he suddenly sits up straight, clearing his throat.

"Can I help you?" He asks.

I nod.

"I'll need a room, for the next 6 days." I tell him.

He looks me over.

"For two people, that will be…"

I cut him off.

"For one only, I won't be staying here." I say simply.

Kina knows better then to try and argue the point with me.

"Just the girl is staying here?" He asks in concern. "What about you, Madame?"

I stay quiet for a moment, my face set in a cold and emotionless expression. With my appearance, it should be painfully obvious to him that I am a Claymore, and he talks to me as though I'm human…

_Must be desperate for money…_

"I have something I have to take care of." I tell him. "Now, what will the room cost me?"

He looks up, as if thinking and adding numbers, and then finally his eyes come back to me.

"600 gold pieces…" He tells me. "That includes a morning and evening meal."

I nod, reaching for the collar of my shirt, I pull it forward, grasping at a necklace hung around my neck, I pull it out to reveal a small cloth bag the size of my fist, with a draw string on the top that keeps it closed, and separate from the actual necklace string.

I pull on the drawstring and open the bag. I reach inside and grasp several of the coins in there, and then I place them on the table.

The coins are currency is gold pieces, and each of the 12 coins has the number 50 on them, indicating each is worthy 50 weights of gold…

"Thank you ma'am!" He says quickly, scooping the coins up.

I turn around, putting my back to the innkeeper.

"I'll expect the girl to be left alone and well taken care of." I tell him. "If you do anything to her, you'll have me to contend with."

I look over my right shoulder at him, and I can see him nod once in agreement. I look forward again with a smile, and I walk past Kina as I head for the door. I push the door open, and I head into the street. As I leave the inn, I hear Kina whisper…

"Good luck…"

Chapter 1: The Elder's Hand…

I emerge into the street, and I breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a sudden weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

_At least I know she'll be well taken care of for the next six days, so I can focus on the job I was given…_

I can sense one large Yoki in the mountain area, and three Yoki within the village. The three smaller Yoki are all gathered together, and the strength of each Yoki is so weak that it's barely even there, a sign of a warrior suppressing her powers.

_No matter how hard we try, we can never completely suppress the Yoki that flows within our bodies; we always give off at least a small, miniscule amount…_

I follow the source of the feeling, and the feeling takes me through an alley behind one of the many buildings within the town, and I find a small shack that appears abandoned, no bigger then 10 feet wide, and no taller then 12 feet. There are 2 windows on the front of the white shack, and both of them are dark.

_Must be a miner's old home, until he was eaten by a Yoma, which makes it the perfect place for us to set up a temporary meeting place…_

I stand in front of the shack, and I shake my head, walking toward the door, I grasp the knob and open the door, taking a single step into the dark room, a blade flies toward my head and lands on the wall to the left of my head, stuck there…

The blade belongs to a simple hunting knife, and I look inside to see three other warriors within the shack, just as I thought there would be. All three of them are around a makeshift table, with 2 of them sitting on either side of the table, the third on the far side of the table from me, is standing. The two who are seated have their swords lying next to them, and the one on my left has her right hand extended, as though she threw something, and I know that it was her who threw the knife…

"You're late…" She says.

The Claymore who spoke has short hair, and is dressed in the same uniform I am, and I can see her symbol is a starburst design. She has a similar build to mine, though her arms are a little skinner and she's slightly shorter then I am. Her ears are pointed, which is peculiar because most of us look almost human, saved for the silver eyes and hair…

The Claymore across from her has longer hair down her neck, which hangs freely and cut to keep it out of her eyes. She's more muscular then I am, and her uniform is slightly different as well. She doesn't wear the skirt armor that most of us wear around our waists; instead she wears a metal cod piece. Her right arm is different in that she wears a metal gauntlet which covers her forearm and wrist, and leaves her fingers bare. Her symbol is that of a straight stick with two points, one on each end of the shaft.

Finally, the Claymore that's standing has long hair that hangs down past her shoulders. Her build is almost identical to mine, and she wears a uniform identical to mine as well. Her symbol is a simple cross, and her sword rests on her back.

All of them look annoyed, but the only one who's showing it is the short haired one…

"Nice welcoming…" I mutter, pulling the blade from the wall. "Your aim's a little off, though." I say, flipping the blade in my hand, grabbing the knife by the point and handing it back to the thrower.

The girl takes it from me with a smirk, and the long haired one clears her throat.

"Well, if that's taken care of, I'd like to get on with telling you three why we're here, and what we'll be doing."

"I already know that…" I begin. "An Awakened Being has been spotted in the mountains, and we're here to kill it."

She nods.

"Now, I'd like to know each of your names and numbers, plus any experience in hunting awakened beings." She says.

She looks at the medium haired Claymore, and the girl starts.

"My name is Lisa, and I'm number 15, with no experience hunting Awakened Beings." She volunteers, naming herself.

_Lisa of the Instant Sword, she gets her name from the fact that she can channel her Yoki into her arm and use it to swing her sword in a single strike that looks more like a flash of light then a sword slash. Her combat abilities are fairly high, although because her other skills aren't on par with her sword swinging, she hasn't advanced farther up in the organization…_

The long haired girl goes to the short haired one, and she scoffs.

"It's Ellie, and I'm number 13, with 2 different experiences hunting awakened beings."

_Daredevil Ellie, she gets her nickname from the fact that during a fight, she'll intentionally dodge an oncoming attack by a small margin, exerting only enough effort to barely dodge the blow, and then try to render a counter blow. This strategy has backfired more the once on her, but she refuses to change her battle style, which is why she remains at her current number. She's a defensive style user that focuses on attacking and killing her opponent without sustaining damage, which is why she can't ascend to a higher number…_

The long haired one looks at me, and I stare back at her.

"It's rude to ask my name, without giving your own." I tell her.

She nods.

"My name is Jean, and I'm number 8, with 4 experiences hunting Awakened Beings." She says.

_Cling to Life Jean, the defensive style Claymore ranked 8__th__ within the Organization. Her nickname comes from the fact that she's had 3 of her limbs hacked off before, and she's regenerated all of them within an hour, and proceeded to kill the Yoma that did it to her. Rumor has it that she will never die, no matter how much damage she takes, and the only way she'll parish is right before she awakens, when another Claymore cuts off her head…_

"Now, what's your name?" Jean asks.

"My name is Lucia, and I'm number 5, with over 8 experiences hunting Awakened Beings."

There's a silence that follows, and I put my right hand on my hip, and three assembled Claymores in front of me look at me, with mixed expressions of both awe and respect…

"Number 5, Lucia…" I hear Lisa mutter.

"Holy crap…" Ellie mutters, and Jean looks at me with cold eyes that hide fear.

"So, you're Lucia…" She begins, clearing her throat. "I've heard a lot about you…"

I shrug my shoulders, walking over to the wall on my left, and leaning against it.

"What does that matter?" I ask.

"Well, we need to decide a leader…" Jean begins. "We were ordered to gather here and to kill the Awakened Being, but without a hierarchy of command and organization, we won't stand much of a chance against it."

I nod.

"So, why tell me this?" I ask.

"Well, you're ranked highest out of all of us, which means you're the strongest among us." Jean says. "Normally, the strongest warrior among a group leads."

I shake my head.

"I don't want the job." I say simply. "You can have it for all I care." I tell her. "I'm here to kill an Awakened Being, and that's it." I say. "I'm not here to baby sit."

Ellie scoffs and reaches for her sword, but Jean extends her right hand in front of her with her palm toward Ellie, to tell her to stop. The look that Jean gives Ellie says it all, and the weaker Claymore removes her hand from her sword, and sits back in her seat.

"So, what's the mission?" Lisa asks, changing the subject.

"Well, we're here to kill an Awakened being…" Jean says, stating the obvious. "As I'm sure you're all aware, the Yoma has been living in the mountain, living off of the miners that attempt to mine the precious minerals from within the mountain." She pauses. "This village has made several attempts to send miners, and each expedition has never returned. A Claymore was called, and this area's warrior was sent to kill the Yoma." She explains. "However, the Claymore never reported back, and it is believed she died in combat with the Awakened Being." She continues. "It was then that the Organization decided to assemble a team, and the four of us were tapped to take care of this problem."

"So, this Yoma already killed one of our comrades?" Lisa asks, and Jean nods.

"Yes, and it's safe to assume that it's also killed several other Claymores who attempted to kill it in the past."

"So, how do we deal with it then?" Lisa asks.

Jean sighs.

"With the four of us, we should be able to fight it and kill it, we have two here who are single digit ranked, myself and Lucia."

"So, basically, Ellie and I are just fodder for this thing, while the two of you are meant to actually have the power needed to kill it?"

She nods, and I can tell that she doesn't like the truth, even though that's what it is…

"We should get going…" I say, standing up straight and turning toward the door. "We have our orders."

I hear the three of them mumble their agreements, and soon afterward, the four of us are walking through the main street of the town. It doesn't take much to draw a human's attention, and four Claymores walking down a street certainly will do it. The four of us walk in a diamond shape, with Jean at the front point, Ellie on left side, Lisa on the right, and me bringing up the rear. Since Jean nominated herself the unofficial leader of our small team, she took the point position, and Ellie and Lisa both seem to have some sort of bond with the number 8 Claymore, and at the same time, seem to detest me for a reason I cannot explain…

_Maybe they sense my true purpose here? Not that it matters much one way or another, the primary objective of this mission is to kill the Yoma living in the mountains, my objectives come after that…_

We walk in silence; the only noise among us the metallic clank of our feet hitting the ground. We move at a normal pace for us, and as we walk, I can see humans on both sides of the street parting for us, allowing us to go by without question, most of them averting their eyes in fear that one of the 'Silver Eyed Witches' will strike them if they look at us wrong…

_I guess it's a good thing that most people don't know about our cardinal rule, so they don't try and mess with us and try to provoke us…_

We leave the village and head toward the mountains in the midst of murmurs and questions aimed toward other villagers. As we leave, I can hear the sound of rapid footsteps behind me, and I turn around, half reaching for my sword when I see a small 5 year old child approach me at a run, holding a small flower bracelet.

The other three claymore stop when they notice I'm no longer following them, and they turn and watch as the scene unfolds before them. I know that they're interested in how I'm going to react to this, and the child holds the flower bracelet out toward me.

"For you…" The little girl says. "For luck…"

The innocence in her voice pangs in my heart, and I feel something stir in my soul, some sort of compassion stirs inside me, dormant for so many years. I take the bracelet from her, and I give her an honest smile.

"Thank you…" I say with a happy smile, sliding the bracelet onto my right wrist. "I'll wear it always."

I pat the child on the head in praise, and the child smiles, and I hear rapid footsteps approaching, these louder and deeper then the little girl's, telling me they belong to an older villager…

"Lucy!" The older woman yells in panic, snatching her child up in her arms.

The older woman has dark hair and looks like a stereotypical villager, the same goes for her daughter…

"Oh my baby, don't you know better!" She scolds the girl, and then turns to me. "I deeply apologize, my daughter didn't mean to interrupt you and your work, please don't take it out on the village." The woman says in panic.

Her panicked apology puts me back into the proper mood, and I nod once.

"I understand; there was no inconvenience." I say simply, and I turn around, back toward my own kind.

I nod toward Jean, and the four of us resume our walk toward the mountain, and I peek over my left shoulder to see the older woman run back into the house and slam the door. I turn my head forward, and I see Lisa looking at my right wrist, at the luck bracelet that now rests there.

"You're actually going to wear that, huh?" She asks.

I nod.

"Who knows, maybe there is something to these human superstitions." I say. "With this, we might all come out of this alive."

"I don't know; it's not something the organization would smile upon."

I nod, and I look down at the flower bracelet, still on my right wrist…

_Why did I even bother accepting this gift from that stupid child? Normally I would've just shrugged it off and ignored the child, and told her that I don't believe in luck…_

_What's wrong with me? Has Kina done something to me to change me? Or has her presence in my life started to stir something in my heart that I didn't even know was there?_

I shake my head once, clearing it of such…human thoughts. I don't notice the other two Claymores in front of me see me try to clear my head, and I push the kind thoughts aside, knowing better.

_I can't be thinking about kindness and compassion, I need to be completely unemotional and cold, otherwise I won't stand a chance against a Yoma, no matter how strong I am…_

We walk for an hour and a half, and I can feel the Yoma's presence getting closer and closer the more we walk toward the mountain. After nearly 2 hours since we left the village, I see Jean raise her hand in a gesture that means 'stop.' The three of us stop, and I look at her with a questioning expression.

"Why are we stopping?" I ask. "The Yoma is still in the mountains, and we're at least an hour away." I explain.

She nods, drawing her sword and then slicing a line in the ground, sheathing the blade back on her back a moment later.

"We'll rest here…" She says. "Tomorrow morning we'll fight with the Yoma." She says.

I eye her up, and I exhale in frustration.

"Why are we stopping here?" I ask her. "We could easily reach the Yoma's location within an hour, and start the mission that much quicker."

She shakes her head.

"The four of us are all weakened from our travels and a lack of rest." Jean tells me. "We need to rest up tonight, and then tomorrow when we're back to 100%, we'll fight against the Yoma when we have a better chance of winning."

I can't argue with the logic behind her statement.

"Well, we can't rest here on the road." I tell her.

She nods her affirmation.

"I saw a cave nearby as we came up the path." She explains. "We'll rest there."

I motion for her to lead the way.

"Lead the way…" I say simply.

She starts off into the forest, and leads the four of us to a nearby cave. The cave is dark and dank, and the four of us quickly get a fire started, and set up. Soon after the fire is lit, we all shuck our armor and weapons, and we all watch the fire as it burns and crackles in front of us. We all sit around the fire in silence, and after 10 minutes, I see Jean shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"I was just thinking about what strategy we should use tomorrow against the Awakened Being."

I raise my right eyebrow.

_So, the rumors about her being a strategist are true. She's a defensive style Claymore that thinks through battle, planning out each movement and maneuvering her opponent into a corner, and then forcing them into the trap, killing the Yoma when they just realize that they're trapped…_

"What do you propose?" I ask sincerely.

I see her stop for a moment, and then nod.

"I was thinking we'd try to box the Yoma in, trap it against a wall and then once it's pinned, the two of us will finish it off."

I nod my agreement.

"Sounds like a sound plan." I say simply.

_This actually works out good for me. If we go along with this idea, the Yoma is going to fight harder then it would if we engaged it in the open. That means that it's more likely to injure or even kill any of them…_

"I don't think that's a good idea." Lisa objects.

Jean looks at her with a questioning gaze.

"What do you suggest then?" She asks.

"Well, whenever I've gone on a job where I was able to back a Yoma into the corner, the Yoma always fought harder and refused to die when it knew it couldn't get away." She objects. "So, my suggestion is that Ellie and you lure the Yoma toward Lucia and me." She says, motioning toward me.

"You really think that's intelligent?" Jean asks. "Lucia and I are the single digit ranks, while you and Ellie are the lower rank."

Lisa nods.

"I know that, but it doesn't make any sense for an Offensive fighter to act as a decoy, I don't have the same regenerative powers that you do, if I got badly injured acting as a decoy, my offensive abilities would be lost, whereas you are a defensive fighter, and if you get injured, with your high rank you should be able to heal within a short amount of time and regenerate like nothing ever happened to you."

Jean looks at me, and then back to Lisa.

"Do you honestly think your sword swinging is going to be enough to manage to kill an Awakened Being?" Jean asks.

"I wouldn't worry too much." I comment. "If you can lure it toward us, the two of us will be more then enough to slay any awakened being."

Jean looks at me with a skeptical look on her face.

"I've heard about what you're capable of…" She begins. "But unless you've got some major powers that no one knows about, you can't stand up to an Awakened Being on your own, not without a lot of support."

I shrug.

"What does my fate matter to you?" I ask. "If I die, that just means that you'll go up a rank as they move everyone in the organization up one, creating a new weak Claymore for the 47th rank."

"I want the mission to succeed, so I'm going to need all the power I can bring to bare against the Awakened Being."

I nod.

"Trust me, Instant Sword Lisa and I will be more then enough to handle an Awakened Being together." I tell her. "Just make sure that you manage to lure it toward us without getting to cut apart."

She nods, and I lean against the sword behind me, closing my eyes as I begin to relax.

"Lucia, can I ask you something?" Jean's voice breaks into the silence of my mind.

"What do you want?" I ask, opening my eyes.

She motions outside.

"I'd like to spar with you, if you don't mind."

_A sparring match, against the number 8 Claymore, it might be a good test of my skills against a single digit Defensive Fighter…_

"Sure, why not." I begin. "Let's have a sparring match."

I sit up and take the sword from the ground, and I walk outside with Jean next to me. Both of us hold our swords, and we find an open area, standing across from each other, she raises her sword in front of her and holds it both hands, and I keep my arms at my sides, holding the blade in my right hand, looking more relaxed then anything…

"Bring it on…" I mutter.

The girl charges toward me, reeling her sword behind her left shoulder and swinging it toward me, letting out a yell of anger as she swings the blade, I raise my own sword to block, and our blades push against each other. She pushes off of my sword, and I keep my stance, keeping only a single hand on the hilt of my blade as she leaps off of the shove; and lands on her feet. She comes for me again, this time swinging her sword down. I sidestep, swinging my sword in a counterclockwise motion to divert her blade into the ground. I extend my free arm and grab the back of her head with it, throwing her forward by her head. She flips in mid air and rights herself, landing on her feet; she spins around and holds the sword in front of her. She comes after me again, and I can tell that she means to try and harm me, even though she's suppressing her Yoki as far as she can, and I know that's to try and throw me off from predicting her attacks. I see her muscles twitch, and I see she's going for a slash from my lower right. I predict the attack and our blades cross, the swords pushing against each other as she tries to land a blow against me. I send my right foot into her stomach, and she groans as my blow knocks her back a few feet, enough distance for me to attack with the sword. I swing with a right cross slash, and she blocks with her blade, the swords clanging as the blades meet. She pushes my sword back on the path that I slashed through, and I hold her sword back with one arm, and I can see her astonishment as I hold her sword back with a single hand. Sparks fly as the metal presses against each other, and finally we push off against each other, sending both of us leaping back and landing on our feet. She charges for me, her sword at her left side and with her anger filling her and dictating her actions, I can read her sword and muscle movements like an open book. She swings the blade across her body, and I move with my full speed, leaping up and over her, landing at her back, and I spin around in a counter clockwise motion, stopping my sword less then an inch before it cuts into her neck.

"This is over." I say simply, and she doesn't move.

I pull the blade away from her neck, and lower it to my side.

"You've got impressive skills." Jean says, standing up straight and turning around, looking at me as she holds her sword in her right hand.

"Did you think I was lying when I told you I was Number 5?" I ask, turning toward the cave. "If you're finished with this sparring session, I'm heading back inside."

I start back toward the cave, and Jean doesn't object to my idea, and soon I hear her following behind me. As I approach the cave, I see Lisa and Ellie standing there without their armor on, looking at me in silence as I walk past the two of them and into the cave. I sit down on the same spot I was before the sparring session, and the other three Claymores quickly join me.

"That was…" Lisa begins, searching for the words. "An impressive match…"

"Yeah, your speed at the end, it was faster then I've ever seen you move."

I cross my arms over my chest and close my eyes, leaning against my sword.

"Did you think I lied to you when I told you I was Number 5?" I say again, and I hear three distinct mumbles of disagreement.

"Though, it's pretty strange…" Jean begins, and I open my left eye to look at her.

"What's so strange about me being Number 5?"

She shakes her head slowly.

"Not your rank, I mean this team…" She begins. "Why would the Organization assemble two numbers above 20 and the number 8 and 5 together, all for a single Awakened Being?" She asks, sounding suspicious. "I mean, I don't think that all four of us would be required to kill one Yoma."

"Maybe they want to be sure the Yoma is killed." I suggest. "I have no idea why they sent me here, other then to kill the Awakened Being living in the mountain."

_If only that were true, I can't tell them what my real purpose here is…_

"Now that you mention it…" Ellie begins. "It is suspicious that they'd send all of us, for a single Awakened Being." She points out. "I mean, if we all released a significant portion of our Yoma powers, I'm sure that the three of us, without you Lucia, could kill an Awakened Being on our own, why would we even need you?" She asks. "It isn't like the organization to waste manpower."

"Yeah… you're right." Lisa agrees. "They never send more warriors then necessary for a job, so why even bother sending the number 5, in addition to the number 8 as well as the two of us?" She asks.

With my one open eye, I can see that they're looking at each other, and excluding me from the discussion, and I don't know if they can somehow sense that I've got an ulterior motive, or that I know more then I'm letting on…

"What if the Organization is familiar with this particular awakened being; saw what it's capable of, and knows that we're going to need all of our collective power here to kill it?"

_Highly unlikely as that is…If the target really was that powerful, the orders from the Elder Council would've been different, and there would be all single digit warriors on the team, not this group that sits around me._

"That's possible…" Jean begins. "Although, I'd think they'd staff differently if that were the case."

I shrug.

"Maybe…" I begin. "Who knows, I'm just here to do a job."

"Yeah…" Jean says with half a heart. "We're all here to do a job, to kill the Yoma living the mountains."

We all nod at that, and I relax in my seat, closing my left eye again.

"I'm going to get a nap…" I tell them. "Wake me when we leave."

I don't hear a response, but I know that the three of them will do what I ask, they still have enough fear of me in them to keep them in line should I need it, though I've said that I don't want to lead this mission, and I really don't.

I awake to the sound of blades clashing, and I open my eyes quickly, my senses coming to full alertness as I look around and see that I'm still in the cave, and three piles of armor rest around a slowly dying fire, with a single sword stabbed into the ground near one of the piles…

_2 of the blades are missing. If they went to fight the Yoma, they'd have worn their full uniforms, and all 3 swords would be gone, not just the two of them…_

A moment later, I sense the large Yoki that is the Awakened Being still far off, with 1 small Yoki outside and stationary, with 2 even smaller Yoki moving around in a circular motion…

I get up and I walk to the entrance to the cave, and I see Lisa standing there, leaning against the cave mouth with her arms crossed, her eyes forward, looking at Jean and Ellie standing across from each other, holding their swords in front of them, their breath short and deep…

"Oh, you're awake." The other offensive warrior says as I emerge from the cave.

"What're they doing?" I ask, motioning with my chin toward the other two.

"Practicing…" Lisa responds simply as the two of them clash swords.

"Why would they be doing a thing like that?"

The Claymore shrugs.

"Ellie said that she couldn't believe how calm you were, and was worried about the upcoming fight…" She explains. "So Jean, being a higher ranked defensive fighter, offered to spar with her and help her with her fighting skills."

I watch as Jean swings, and Ellie sidesteps, Jean's sword coming ever so close, only a few hair's breadth between the blade and Ellie's arm…

"So, the rumors are true…" I mutter as Ellie counter attacks, and Jean parries the slash, knocking Ellie's sword away, and then going for the other girl's throat…

Ellie shifts backward, bending backward with her sword above her head, she uses her left hand as a base to prevent herself from falling completely back as Jean's sword cuts only air. Then, Ellie pushes off the ground with her free hand and uses the upward momentum to swing her sword down, trying to cleave Jean in half…

"They're suppressing their Yoki, to the point that it's almost impossible to detect."

"Like I said earlier, they're sparring." Lisa says.

I watch as the higher ranked woman blocks the attack, and then moving fluidly, she pushes the opposing sword to the right and as if hacking to her side, then dropping down and extending her right leg, she spins around in a leg sweep motion that takes Ellie's legs from under her, the lower ranked Claymore falls backward. She tries to catch her fall, but Jean is already moving upward, bringing her blade toward Ellie's throat…

There's a thud as Ellie's back hits the ground, and Jean's sword rests on her neck, the skin of her neck actually slightly recessed around the blade, a mere flick of the wrist from Jean away from taking Ellie's life…

"And here I thought Jean was just a pushover." Lisa says.

"You're all pushovers, compared to me." I say with an emotionless tone, not a hint of arrogance or cockiness to my statement, merely a statement of fact, and Lisa takes it as such.

"Yeah, you don't need to remind us." She says, pushing off the mouth of the cave and coming to a straight stance. "Good job you two, though I think you were too loud, you woke up the guest of honor."

Both of the defensive style fighters turn and look and see myself standing next to Lisa, and I glance toward her.

"'Guest of Honor…'" I repeat to her with a slightly annoyed tone, and she turns toward me, scratching the back of her head nervously.

"Sorry, it's just a nickname we came up with…" She says, indicting the other two. "We thought that since your power wasn't really needed, you were just like a guest on the mission, here to oversee the mission."

I shake my head, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Whatever…" I mutter, turning back toward the cave. "I don't care what you three do, but I'm going back to sleep and I suggest you all do the same, we stopped so we could be at full strength when we combat the Yoma tomorrow, don't go wasting all your energy sparring."

I leave the company of the three of them, and I sit down again, closing my eyes, I drift off to sleep…

I dream, a long forgotten memory…

The village of Veila, a small village with a poor population, the people of the village were simple farmers and merchants, they made their living by harvesting and selling their crops. They were simple people, with simple lives. The women of the village took care of the homes during the day while the men worked the fields, sometimes into the late nights with the assistance of glowing bugs called Illumiflies. Everything was peaceful there, I was the daughter of a farmer and his wife, and we were happy. My mother was pregnant with her second child, a boy to carry on my father's name. We were happy, until one day…

My father came home from tending the fields, and he seemed different. He stormed in through the door as if he were drunk, and he immediately grabbed my mother by the arm and took her to their bedroom, telling me to go into my own room. I did as I was told, and nearly an hour later, things became quiet. I left my room silently and crept over to the next room, slowly opening the door, I saw my mother's body on the ground, ripped open; a purple skinned Yoma standing over her, blood spilled everywhere, the Yoma's hands dripping with it, chewing on the now lifeless tiny body of what was my little brother…

I was so young; I was horrified at the sight. I immediately turned and ran back to my room, closing the door quietly and diving into bed, I curled up under the blankets, sobbing and crying myself to sleep. The next day, it was like I was dead inside. The Yoma had transformed into my father, and tried to maintain the illusion that nothing was wrong. I didn't care about anything; I just went along with what he said, I didn't even care about my own life…

3 days passed like that, my heart was dead, my soul rotting as the image of my mother's body lying on the ground, the demon that was impersonating my father standing over her, smiling as he consumed my future little brother…

Then the Claymore came…

I never learned her name, nor did I ever even speak to her. Before she arrived, the village leader called a meeting in the village square, knowing full well that the demon had to be hiding among the men of the village. The people gathered, and the Yoma claiming to be my father said my mother wasn't feeling well, and couldn't attend. When the Claymore arrived, the disguised Yoma knew that he had to hide, but the Silver Eyed Witch found him the second she laid eyes on him. She cut him down in a blur of motion before he could even begin to release his Yoma powers, and in that moment, I had no family, I was orphan…

As the Yoma's blood sprayed down on me, I felt a twinge of satisfaction in my chest, at the fact that the creature had been killed for taking the lives of my mother and father, and that the Claymore had avenged them.

The Claymore left shortly after, and I was banished from the village, the others fearing that I had somehow become a Yoma myself, and they didn't want to keep me around. I followed the Claymore, and when I found her, I told her of my plight, and the same day I found her, she introduced me to the dark hooded man who gave her orders, and he took me way. He brought me to the castle where the Organization makes Claymores, and at the age of 7, he had me infused with Yoma flesh and blood. The process was excruciatingly painful, but I bore it. After I recovered from the ordeal, I was put into training, constant combat training against another, more experienced Claymore who had spent years doing jobs, and was selected by the Organization to train the next generation in the use of their powers. The Claymore who trained me was the same Claymore who killed the Yoma who killed my parents. Every waking hour of every day I spent training with her, never once did she tell me her name, instead insisting that I call her 'Master.' She trained me in how to use a sword, and trained me in closing off my heart, cutting off my emotions and becoming a perfect warrior. I mastered the use of the Claymore by the time I was 10, and I spent the next 7 years under constant surveillance and study by the organization as I learned to release the Yoma powers within me. I found that I could easily release the majority of the powerful demon energy within my body, and I could control it with absolute perfection. It was during these 7 years that I found I was special, different from the other Claymores in a way that guaranteed me a spot within the top 5 Claymores of my generation. I started doing jobs for the Organization a year and half later…

I open my eyes slowly, and I look around groggily. I see that I'm still in the same cave I was in when I fell asleep, and other three Claymores sit around a now burnt out fire in a pose nearly identical to my own…

_It's been almost 2 years since that day; I wonder why I dreamt about all that now, maybe a warning from my subconscious, telling me to keep my emotions cut off, to be numb and cold…_

I yawn quietly and stand up, walking out of the damp cave and I emerge from the mouth of the cave into morning twilight, and I can feel the 3 small Yoki inside the cave, and the large Yoki of the Awakened Being in the mountain, and when I look toward the mountain, I can almost see the Yoki wafting through the air like a black cloud surrounding the mountains…

I shake my head, and I yawn again, stretching my arms and legs, my body feels ready to act, and I start into a quick jog into the forest. I move slowly for even a human, running at only half speed, just enough to wake my muscles up and prepare them for the day ahead of me. The air is cool and damp from the morning dew falling from the leaves of the trees, and the sun hasn't truly risen yet, casting a semi warm light into the forest. I run for nearly an hour, and then I turn around, reversing direction and heading back the way I came. I manage to get back just under the amount of time it took me to run away from the cave, and when I arrive, I can hear stirring from inside the cave, and judging from the three Yoki inside, my fellow Claymores have all just recently woken up, and are probably inside talking to each other in secret…

When I exercise, I suppress my Yoki as far as I can, and now, I suppress it even further, trying to prevent them from sensing my presence. I slowly and quietly approach the cave entrance, and I strain my ears, listening for any conversation…

"…I just don't like…" I hear Jean comment.

"What, because she beat you and made it look easy?" I hear Lisa shoot back.

"No, it isn't that, it's like she's hiding something from us, something that she doesn't want to us to know."

"We've all got secrets." Ellie interjects. "Maybe she's keeping her secrets for good reason."

"I don't know…" Jean mutters, and I can barely make it out. "It seems like there's something more sinister going on here then just a simple hunt for an awakened being."

"Who knows?" Lisa asks. "We've got our orders, the same as Lucia, we're to hunt down and kill the Awakened Being feeding off of the miners of the village."

I hear Jean sigh.

"I know, I just wonder if the Organization sent Lucia here for another purpose…"

I stop suppressing my Yoki and I move backward, giving the appearance that I'm just coming back. As I enter the cave, I see the three of them turn toward me, and Jean stands up.

"Where'd you go?" She asks; her tone half suspicious, half curious.

"I went for a jog, simple as that." I respond truthfully.

I approach the area where I slept, and I get dressed, putting the armor on and then sliding the sword into place on my back. The other three Claymores take the hint and do so as well, and 10 minutes later, the 4 of us are dressed and ready to finish the journey up the mountain, and fight the Awakened Being living there…

The four of us continue our trek up the mountain, again with me picking up the rear. The atmosphere between the four of seems to have changed, and Jean regards me with some suspicion, though she tries to hide it. I simply ignore the occasional glance behind her toward me, and keep my eyes forward, an emotionless expression on my face.

_I've come here to do a job; I'm going to do it._

We arrive at one of the mountains an hour and a half later, and already the Yoki is getting bigger, our sense of it becoming more and more detailed the closer we get to the monster emitting it…

"On your guard, all of you..." Jean says, and I didn't need her to tell me that.

I can feel the demonic energy in the air, getting thicker and thicker as we go farther into the mountains, and after nearly an hour on the mountain path, I can begin to feel the anxiety in my comrades through the Yoki their bodies emit. Ellie and Lisa are nervous, their emotions running high, Jean is calmer, although the suspicion she feels toward me now takes a back seat to tension, and a creeping fear that we're being watched…

"You needn't worry." I tell them all. "We'll make it through this job." I say reassuringly.

I can feel a spike of surprise in both Ellie and Lisa, and with Jean I sense disbelief…

"I wish it'd come out already…"

Then, I see something up ahead, and the other Claymore does as well.

"Hey, Claymores, over here!" Echoes a male voice through the mountain...

I see a hiker up ahead, dressed in simple robes, and wearing a large sack on his back. He runs toward us, and I feel a chill run down my spine as the man approaches.

"You were hired by the village right?" The Hiker asks, looking us over. "You're here to slay the Yoma in these mountains?"

Jean nods, and I can feel her suspicion mounting, but not towards myself, or the other 2 Claymores in our party…

"Yes, we were hired to slay the Yoma here…" She tells him, her right pointer finger twitching. "We're looking for him now…"

She moves quickly, drawing her blade and slashing in front of her in a single motion. The hiker leaps back with inhuman speed, and immediately I can feel the Yoki spilling forth from the hiker, telling me he's an Awakened Being in disguise…

"Lisa, Lucia, you know the plan."

Both of us nod, and we take off down the path, having spotted a cave earlier, I look back to see the hiker begin to transform, changing into a large, spike like monster with 10 arms and dark gray skin, eyes glowing yellow like ours do when we release our powers…

"Into the cave…" I mutter toward Lisa as the two of us turn and shoot inside at a full run.

We both stop after 30 feet, and we turn around, staring at the mouth of the cave…

The cave itself is rather large, with a 20 foot high ceiling and smooth walls, this room will limit the Yoma's ability to move as well as constrict his attack ability. With the two of us lying in wait, all that Jean and Ellie had to do was bring the Yoma here. With their senses, they should have no problem finding us by our Yoki, as even now I can feel the two of them fighting against the Awakened being…

"This is insane…" I hear Lisa mutter, staring toward the mouth of the cave. "That monster's Yoki is so strong, it's unbelievable."

I then remember that she has never hunted an Awakened being before, and that there's little wonder that she thinks the amount of power the monster has is incredible.

"You don't need to be scarred." I tell her. "I've fought against more Awakened Beings then even Jean has, and I've killed stronger ones then the one we're fighting…"

I grasp my sword with my right hand, and I draw the blade, holding it in front of me with the tip pointed up and at an angle.

"You really mean that?" She asks, and I glance over to see her turned toward me, her hands open, looking for support or assurance.

I nod once.

"Yes, you aren't going to die here, your fear is pointless, it will die by our hands, I guarantee that."

With that, the lower ranked claymore draws her blade and holds it in front of her with both hands.

"Now, we wait, stay on guard, they'll get here soon."

The two of us stand there for a few minutes, until I see both Ellie and Jean appear at the mouth of the cave. They stare off toward my left, and I can see Ellie's left arm has been severed, the wound bleeding heavily. Jean has three holes in her stomach the size of large coins, and both appear out of breath.

They see us and immediately run into the cave, pumping their arms for all their worth. The two Claymores run past us without a word, and run deeper into the cave.

"It's up to us." I mutter as the Awakened Being appears at the mouth of the cave.

The monster doesn't even seem to care that his two targets ran from him, and now he charges into the cave, seeing fresh meat for the slaughter, and more fun to be had with just the two of us…

"Die!" It yells, and 4 of its arms extend, coming at us like bullets.

Both Lisa and I leap to the side, the monsters arms tearing into the cave walls, and we both charge forward. I don't see Lisa use her 'Instant Sword' to cleave the Yoma's arm in half before she charges, and I get in close, leaping up and slicing upward into the side of the monster. It yells out in pain as Lisa uses her 'Instant Sword' twice in rapid succession, slicing two large gashes into the side of the monster, slicing two more of his arms off in addition to the one she already cleaved clean. The monster roars and turns toward her, swatting me in mid air with one of its remaining arms. I cross my arms over my chest to absorb some of the blow, and I feel myself quickly smack into the cave wall, letting out a grunt of pain before I fall forward, flipping forward and landing on one knee, I look up to see Lisa use her power 3 times in quick succession, her blade moving like a flash of light across the Awakened Being's body. The monster roars in pain as its blood is spilled all over the cave. I watch as she is backed into a corner, even with her Instant Sword, she's unable to hold the monster back. She tries her attack again, this time aiming for the monster's head. I watch as the Yoma shifts his head to the left, and her sword impacts the flesh just to the right of his neck, her vertical slash working against her as the Yoma arches his neck and bites into her right arm, digging his teeth through the gauntlet and into her flesh…

She lets out a yell of pain, and her right arm leaves her blade. I charge forward, aiming for the monster's neck, ready to take his head and kill it right then and there. The monster sees me coming, and opens his jaws, turning his head toward me and opening his mouth, I feel Yoki begin to concentrate on his mouth, and I realize what he's trying to do.

Yoki bursts forward in a concentrated form from his mouth, looking like purple fire as I concentrate my own Yoki onto my sword, swinging the blade down, using my 'Cutting Wind' attack that gives me my nickname within the Organization. My attack, using air held together by my own Yoki, intercepts his own, and they clash and mix, the fast moving air dispersing the flame like attack, and I charge through it, swinging my sword horizontally as the Yoma jumps, and I cleave 2 of it's 4 feet as it leaps, and then lands behind me, and I spin around quickly, holding my sword in front of me…

Now I notice that Lisa's eyes are glowing yellow, a sure indication that she's released 10 percent of her Yoma powers…

_So, she had to release her Yoma powers, I guess she can't use that attack of hers multiple times like that in rapid succession without releasing her powers. Either way, that bite wound is deep, and her arm's mobility is going to suffer for it…_

"So…" I hear the Awakened being mutter, looking us over. "This was supposed to be some sort of trap?" It asks in jest.

I glare at him with my sword in front of me, I hold the blade tightly.

"How's your arm?" I ask Lisa without moving my gaze.

"It'll be fine…" She mutters. "Though, I don't think I can use that attack again without releasing more power."

I keep my eyes on the monster.

"So, did my teeth hurt little girl?"

I swing the sword, firing a Cutting Wind off of the tip of the blade, and the Awakened Being shifts, my attack slicing into the cave wall and leaving a gash along the ground where my attack traveled…

"So, that's what you did to stop my Flame Cannon…" It says, eying the gash in the ground starting at the tip of my sword.

I raise the blade up, and hold it in front of me.

"You won't see that again and live…" I say simply.

"Oh…" It begins. "You're different from the others…" He begins. "I sense something about you, a murderous intent deeply concealed beneath the surface of an unerring calm; tell me, what are you here to kill?"

I remain calm, but I can immediately sense a disruption in Lisa's Yoki.

"What's he talking about, a murderous intent deeply hidden beneath an unerring calm?" She demands.

"He's trying to divide us…" I begin, looking over my shoulder for a split second.

A split second too long, the Yoma capitalizes and extends an arm, stabbing through my chest and flinging me toward the cave entrance. I can feel incredible pain flood my body as the Yoma injuries me and then tosses me aside, and I land on my back with a thud as the monster laughs…

"Now, die!" It yells.

I hear it's feet charge, and I struggle to get up as it comes for me, and before it can get close enough, I see Lisa move with a blur of motion, appearing in front of me, and swinging her blade down with both hands, using her Instant Sword attack again, this time forcing the Yoma to leap back or else find it's head in two separate pieces…

_She saved me…_

I can already feel the wound in my stomach beginning to close, and realize now that it wasn't that serious. I put my left hand over the wound as it closes, and Lisa stands in front of me, and I can feel more Yoma power coming from her, her arms having gotten thicker, her face no doubt distorted…

_She's reached nearly 50 percent release, that means if she goes much farther she'll surpass her limits, and the last thing I need is two Awakened Beings on my hands…_

I know that both Jean and Ellie are waiting farther beyond, waiting for either the Yoma's Yoki to vanish, or for the two of us to die in combat.

I stab the sword into the ground and use it as a support to get to my feet, and once I'm vertical, I pull the blade from the ground.

"Lisa, I want you to try and get past it." I tell her in a no nonsense tone.

"What?" She asks; her voice distorted as she looks over her right shoulder at me, and I can see that her face appears more demonic then human.

"You've already released more then 40 percent of your Yoma powers, and if you keep this up, you're going to surpass your limit." I tell her simply. "If I can fight him alone, without worrying about hurting anyone else, I should be able to at least severely wound him, if not kill him in his current condition."

"You sure…" She asks, and I nod.

I see her instantly suppress her powers and return to her normal form, and I can see the Yoma make a face that suggests disappointment.

"Suppressing your power, that's a shame, this won't be any fun if you don't fight me with everything you have."

I clutch the blade, and she moves to the side, and I move forward, standing next to her as she holds her sword in front of her.

"Join up with Ellie and Jean and try to recover as much as possible, and if my Yoki vanishes, then come here and finish it off, do you understand?"

She nods once, and then looks forward.

"Go…" I tell her.

She takes off at a run, aiming for an empty space next to the Yoma as she charges, trying to run past him. The monster roars in challenge, and I see several appendages shoot off from its body to try and intercept her. I swing my blade, using the cutting wind, and my attack cleaves the ends of the limbs before they even touch her and the Yoma roars in pain as it leaps back, my attack passing Lisa, and the girl takes off at a full run down the cave into the darkness…

The Yoma turns back toward me, and I see a grin appear on its face, as if it's suddenly happy at fighting me one on one…

"So, you're going to fight me alone, without the aid of your comrades?" It asks, and I nod.

"I'm your opponent; you'll have to deal with me before you can kill the other three."

It smirks happily.

"That works for me!" It yells. "Release your Yoma powers and come after me, give me some fun!"

I shake my head, giving a smirk.

"I'm not like those others…" I begin, glaring at him. "I can't release 10 or even 20 percent of my Yoma powers."

He eyes me strangely.

"Really, how can you even hope to win?"

I spread the smirk into a twisted, sick smile of depravity.

"Let's find out…" I mutter, my voice turning demonic, my eyes gleaming, veins bulging all over my body as Yoki erupts from my body.

A minute later, I lean against my sword, kneeling on one knee against the blade, the Yoma lying on the ground, what's left amounting to nothing more then a mound of flesh, the head completely destroyed, it's limbs cut into little cutlets even a baby could swallow…

I pant heavily, my breath deep and ragged. I feel my entire body ache, my skin covered in sweat. I hold the blade with both hands. The Yoma is dead, and the other three are still farther down in the cave. I look back over my shoulder again, and I see the unmoving, lifeless mound of flesh lying on the ground, and I nod, bowing my head tiredly in front of my body. I use the sword to push myself to my feet as I hear three distinct sets of footsteps against the cave floor, and I see the three of them emerge from the darkness, all of them have suspicious and cautious looks on their faces.

"Lucia…" Lisa begins. "What happened, what happened to your clothes?"

The clothing that once covered my entire body now barely covers my torso, the legs torn and tattered, the same with the arms.

"The mission is complete." I say simply, still holding the sword as a crutch.

"What did you do?" She asks. "Your Yoki felt like you Awakened for a few moments, and then it went back to how it is now."

"I released my Yoma powers…" I tell them.

"Wow…" Jean mutters, looking at the mound of flesh that was once the Awakened Being. "You killed this thing on your own, even though it was injured, it's still an impressive feat, and I guess that's why you're Number 5."

I nod, pulling the blade from the ground and sheathing it on my back.

"Now, would you all be so kind as to slice your own throats?" I ask.


	2. Chapter 2

(Well, here's the second chap of this thing? Thought the story was dead huh? Well you're wrong! Here's hoping that the anime gets a second season!)

Chapter 2: Allegiances…

The three of them look at me with disbelief in their eyes, and I smirk, shaking my head.

"At least, that's what the Organization wants me to do…" I say, leaning against the cave wall.

"You mean…" Jean begins, and I nod.

"Your suspicions about me were correct." I say simply. "The Organization knew that three of you together could've dealt with this Awakened Being." I tell them. "They sent me along because you three weren't supposed to survive this battle." I admit to them. "If you did survive, I was supposed to make you three do all the fighting against the Yoma, and then kill you all after you were exhausted from the successful hunt."

Jean reaches for her sword, and Lisa steps between her and me.

"Wait…" She begins, and I see Jean loosen her grip, her fingers coming away from the hilt of the blade, her face relaxing, her arm dropping slightly.

Lisa turns and faces me, knowing that Jean will have to cut through her to get to me.

"You told me to leave the battle and join them, so you could fight it alone." She says. "With what you just told us, that's the opposite of what your orders were."

I nod.

"After spending some time with you three, I can't fathom why the Organization wants you dead, though I can imagine some of you have come close to Awakening."

I see all three of their eyes go wide at the statement.

"So, it's true then…" I say simply. "All three of you have come close to becoming an Awakened Being."

They all nod once, and I sigh heavily.

"So, you were sent to kill us."

I nod again.

"Since you three are close to Awakening, the organization looks at you three as unacceptable liabilities, and can't risk having more Awakened Beings come into this world." I tell them. "Among the Claymores numbered 1-4, I am called 'The Hand of the Elders' because I am given orders directly by the elder council of the Organization."

"So, what will you do with us, if you don't intend on killing us?" Jean asks.

I shrug.

"I hadn't figured that out yet." I tell her. "I was going to let you live, and I'd assume you would like revenge against the Organization that turned you into half Yoma monsters, and then casts you aside so easily, without even telling you."

The three of them nod, and I sigh again.

"We have options…" I begin. "I could report to the organization that you are all dead, and you can go into hiding until you can figure out the proper time to take revenge on the Organization." I tell them.

"What makes you think the Organization isn't spying on us now?"

I shake my head.

"If I weren't here, that would be a possibility, but because I'm here, their trust in me is absolute, they believe that I will carry out this mission without fail, and expect nothing less then success from me."

"What would we do then?" Ellie asks.

"You can do whatever you want." I tell her. "If you decide you don't want to take vengeance on the Organization, you can throw away your sword and disappear into the masses, living out the rest of your life peacefully without another Yoma battle." I tell them. "Or, you can decide to slay Yoma on your own, and sooner or later the Organization will figure out that someone is killing Yoma, with the description of a Claymore, and they'll send a high ranking Claymore after you, more then likely, it'll be me coming for you, and I won't be able to spare your lives again."

"So what then…" Jean begins. "If we believe what you're saying, then the best option is throw away our swords and try to live normal lives, but we can never live normal lives." She responds. "Our eyes and hair set us apart from everyone else, and since the description of a Claymore is so well known, we'll have to stay in hiding forever."

I shrug.

"It's your choice, the Organization made you this way, made you put your life on the line on a daily basis, fighting monsters for their own gain, while you do nothing but toil and suffer." I say with a hint of distaste in my voice.

"What says we can trust you?" Lisa asks. "You lied to us about your mission here, and now we're supposed to believe that one of the highest ranked Claymores has a grudge against the organization?"

I nod.

"You have no idea what the Organization has put me through, what they've done to my life, the way they've twisted me."

"Why don't you tell us then?" Jean asks.

I let out a sigh.

"I joined the organization when I was 7 years old, I was made a Claymore the minute I was joined, and for over 10 years, I was forced to train and fight, and I was experimented on like a piece of meat." I tell them. "The reason you never see me release my Yoma powers, even a tiny amount of them, is because unlike the rest of you, I cannot release only 10 percent of my powers, when I release my powers, I undergo an Awakening."

"Awakening…" They all mutter, and I nod.

"Like I said, I was experimented on before I was made active, and they experimented on me by pushing me to my limits, and then sacrificing another Claymore to bring me back to my senses." I tell them. "Eventually, they gave me mental conditioning, taught me to resist the bloodlust brought on by the Yoma inside me, by locking my emotions up, I learned to completely Awaken the Yoma within me, and bring myself back from an Awakened State." I tell them. "However, no matter how hard I try, I go into a berserk rage while I'm awakened, and I kill anything I see, which I why I made you leave my side then." I tell Lisa, and she nods her understanding. "It takes everything I have to comeback from my Awakened state, and afterward I'm physically and mentally exhausted."

"So, you use those powers for the organization, and you think that one day soon they'll send you a suicide mission to try and get rid of you."

I nod.

"I know that they will one day, sooner or later." I tell them. "When it gets harder for me to come back to a human form, to retain my sanity, they'll have me killed."

"So, we're all in the same boat, is that what you're saying?"

I nod.

"Essentially, yes."

I give them a moment to let that all sink in, and Jean is the first to speak.

"Before we decide on anything, I think it should be brought up that if we do try and revolt against the Organization, we'll all be deemed traitors…"

The four of us nod.

"That goes without saying, doesn't it?" Lisa asks.

"However, I don't know what would happen to the three of you if you were to return to the Organization along with me." I tell them. "I know that I would be punished, presumably I would be executed for failing to kill the three of you, as for what they'd do to you three, I can't imagine." I begin. "They wanted you dead without you realizing that they were trying to get rid of you, so I'd imagine they'd keep sending you on harder and harder jobs until eventually you lose your life."

They look to each other, and I can tell from the looks they all share that going back to the organization isn't an option.

"Personally, I'd like to prevent them from doing what they did to use to anyone else, I don't want to see another generation of women turned into monsters like us."

"So, that's why you want us to disappear for a while, until the time comes when we can strike the heart of the Organization, and burn it to the ground?"

I give a simple curt nod.

"Yes, that's exactly what I want."

_Even as I stand here, part of me wonders why I haven't simply killed these three, and where these feelings of hatred and animosity toward the Organization are coming from. Just a week ago, I was a loyal warrior to the organization, I would've happily laid down my life for them, but now something's different, I feel these feelings of anger and a desire for revenge when I think about them, could it be that human's influence that's doing this to me?_

"No matter what we do…" Jean's voice pulls me from my thoughts. "We've got a hard road ahead of us." She says. "If we decide to hide, throw away our swords and try to live normal lives, there are very few places that would accept us." She points out. "The changes to our bodies are permanent, and without the organization we can't get access to the medicine capable of changing our eye color so we can blend in."

"Yeah, plus we'd be putting the people around us at risk if a Yoma ever came, it would spot us in a moment, and try to kill us because of what we are, not to mention, if another Claymore ever comes around, or if we Awaken…"

None of them want to think about the last thing she mentioned, and neither do I.

_I can't imagine what atrocities I would do if I ever lost myself to the Yoma power. In my awakened state, I could probably kill the current #1, but I'd be in a berserk state, attacking without rhyme or reason, without fear or even purpose…_

I shake my head quickly, not even really rotating my head any. I look around at the three Claymores, and I can feel despair in Lisa's Yoki, anger in Jean's, and confusion in Ellie's, of all of them, I am the calmest, most assured of what I'm doing…

"Have you all come to decision?" I finally ask, pressing the issue.

_I have to push them to decide now, because we won't have very long before I have to leave the mountains and make my return to the Organization to pull off a convincing lie…_

Jean sighs, shaking her head slowly.

"I don't see any other choice…" She begins. "I'm all for bringing down the Organization." She finally says. "Like you Lucia, I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I went through when I joined…"

I glance toward Lisa, and then Ellie.

"What about you two?" I ask, continuing to press the decision. "Jean's chosen her path, will you choose yours?"

Ellie shakes her head violently.

"I can't do this, I just can't!" She finally says, panic and fear filling her emotions, and she takes off out of the cave at a full run.

"Wait you fool!" I yell after her as she leaves the mouth of the cave, and I curse to myself, pushing off the wall, grasping the hilt of my sword…

"Wait…" I hear Lisa's voice, and she stands up, putting herself between me and the mouth of the cave. "I'll go after her; I promise I won't let her leave the mountains."

I stand there a moment, chewing over the options in my head…

_If the two of them leave the mountains and head for the village, someone is bound to see them, and that will destroy any chance of us ever getting the chance we need to put a stop the organization…_

_ Then again, if I kill her to stop her, I'm only doing what I was ordered to do, and will weaken my own cause by one good soldier._

"Go…" I finally say. "Just don't let her get close to the mines or the Village, above all else, you cannot be seen."

Lisa nods and takes off, running out of the cave after Ellie. Leaving me alone with Jean, and I sigh heavily, pulling the sword from my back, I stab it into the ground and I sit down with my back against it, feeling helpless and hating every second of it…

_I don't have a choice; I have to trust Lisa to stop Ellie and bring her back, even if they both decide to go their separate ways and try to live normal lives, there's nothing I can do to stop them. Everything I've said to them since I killed the Awakened being could be looked at as traitorous to the Organization, and mark me for execution…_

"Well, I'm going to go set up a fire…" She begins. "It's rather cold and damp in this cave, and I wouldn't mind a little heat." She says. "Any objections ...?"

I shake my head no, and she nods, walking out of the cave, leaving me alone…

I lean my head backward and lightly tap it against the side of the sword, feeling frustrated…

_Great, now they're ALL gone; and I for all I know, at least two of them aren't going to come back. Well, at least Jean seems to agree with me and wants to take revenge on the Organization but I don't know about Lisa and Ellie, their emotions were so powerful that I couldn't get a good reading on their thoughts through their Yoki, and with the way Ellie blew up like that, I wouldn't be surprised if she jumped off a cliff…_

I close my eyes, feeling the fatigue of the fight against the Awakened being catching up to me, and I drift off to sleep without even realizing what I'm doing…

I open my eyes to the gentle cracking and popping of wood on a fire, and I sit up straight, my internal sense of time telling me I haven't been asleep long…

"So, you're awake…" I hear Jean's voice as my senses come back to me.

I turn and look toward the noise, and I see her sitting on the cave floor near the fire, her knees to her chest, her chin resting between her knees as she looks into the flames…

I nod.

"Where are Lisa and Ellie?" I ask her as soon as the thought comes into my head.

She motions toward the mouth of the cave.

"They're outside; they both came back about half an hour after you fell asleep." She tells me. "Ellie was still rattled about this whole thing, and when they saw you were asleep, they both decided to go outside and talk about this whole thing." She continues. "I talked with them for a bit, gave them my thoughts on this whole ordeal, and came back in here to tend the fire."

The warmth of the flame against my skin feels good, though I'm fully capable to withstanding different climates, I was human before I was a Claymore, and my body always seems to prefer warm, hospitable climates…

"So, they've just been talking all this time?" I ask in disbelief and Jean nods.

"You were only asleep for a few hours; night fell about half an hour ago, so…" She trails, as if looking for the words.

"I understand." I say, standing up, feeling the weight of the armor on my body. "Do you think I should go talk to them?"

I see the other Claymore raise her eyebrows.

"You mean, do you think you should go out there?"

I nod.

"I'm not one to be very empathic." I admit. "So, I don't know how they're going to feel about me coming out there."

She shrugs.

"I don't know, I guess you could, but I wouldn't force them to make their decisions, this is a turning point in their lives, you can't ask them to choose when they aren't ready."

"I understand." I say simply, and I turn, walking toward the mouth of the cave.

I hear the gentle clink of my armored boots against the ground, and the sound is reassuring, telling me that I'm still wearing the metal armor, even if most of my legs and arms are exposed, and my shirt has more holes in it then any of the others thanks to my transformation, but fortunately the cape covers most of the holes in the back, and the armor holds the cloth in place…

As I emerge from the cave, I see the two of them sitting on the path, their legs extended, their hands on the ground, looking up at the stars in silence. There's roughly 5 feet of space between them, and I slowly walk into the space, sitting down slowly.

"Mind if I join you?" I ask calmly, quietly.

They both shake their heads no, and I finish sitting down, sighing as I look up at the night sky, the stars like thousands of white twinkling diamonds in the sky…

For the first time in a long time, I admire the beauty in the sky, at the designs the various dots of light make in the sky, what you can draw with your mind from the points of light…

I don't know how long I sit there, just staring at the stars, admiring the beauty in the night sky, before any of us speak.

"Did you sleep well?" Lisa finally asks, and I nod my answer.

"I was exhausted from the fight against the Awakened being." I say simply. "I feel fine now though, thank you for asking."

_I don't know if she was asking out of genuine concern, or if she was just trying to be nice…_

"That's good…" She responds, as if trying to force the conversation…

"You don't have to talk…" I say in an assuaging tone. "I didn't come out here to try and convince you, either of you, to do anything."

I see her smile, and I can tell that she was afraid that I was going to pressure the both of them into coming to a hasty decision.

_Jean's right about this one, they need time to think to be able to sort out how they feel and make a decision on their own…_

I let out a sigh, and I look up at the stars.

"You two are still confused about all this, aren't you?" I ask the two of them, glancing to them each one at a time, and they both nod their agreement.

"I don't know what I should do…" Ellie says, reaffirming my opinion of her mental state. "It's such a big choice."

"I know, and I also know its wrong of me to ask you two to come to a decision so quickly, so I'm proposing this…" I begin. "I could leave you three here, for a month, or even two months, to give you the time you need to think it all over, and should you decide during that time that you want to throw away your sword and live your own life, you can leave and I'll have no idea where you are, making it that much harder for the organization to find you." I tell them. "Should you decide you wish to join Jean and me in our crusade against the Organization, you can remain here for the full month, and when I return after whatever time period we agree upon, we can begin to form a plan then." I tell them. "How does that sound to the both of you?"

They both smile, and they nod in affirmation.

"I'd like that." Ellie says. "It would give me time to think."

"Me too…" She says. "It'll give me some time to try and think all of this out, and it'll give us a taste of what life will be like if we choose to go up against the organization." She says.

I look backward over my right shoulder into the cave.

"What about you?" I yell back, and Jean emerges from the shadows, wearing only her shirt and pants, her armor and weapon still back in the cave.

She smiles.

"I'm inclined to agree." She says flatly. "That would give us all time to settle down, get our heads straight."

I stand up, clasping my hands together in agreement.

"Well then, if we're all agreed to that, I'll leave here first thing tomorrow morning." I tell them. "From that moment on, you three must suppress your powers as much as possible, to the point that you can barely feel each other's Yoki from close quarters, otherwise any warrior that comes to this village on a job will sense the three of you, and come to investigate."

The three girls nod their agreement, and I look around at the three of them, in their faces I can see hope, indecision, and confidence, and I give them all as warm as smile as I can muster.

"I don't know if it will be wise for you to go into the village at all." I suggest to them. "You might want to consider raiding some of the mining parties, maybe take a cloak or two to hide your appearance, and then go into town when you're adequately covered." I tell them. "I'm sure you'll figure out something, and I hope you will all use the proper discretion when doing so."

The three girls nod again, and this time, I put my hands on my hips.

"Well, it's late, and I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow, so I'm going back inside and going to sleep." I tell them all.

I start walking back toward the cave, and Jean steps aside to allow me passage into the cave.

"How long will you be gone?" The number 8 claymore asks.

I stop at the mouth of the cave, turning head over my right shoulder.

"I'll give you all two months, exactly 60 days from today to come to a decision, and I'll come back here then." I tell them. "Whether I find all, or any of you here is your choice, I'm not making you do anything."

I can see that they all understand, and I walk inside the cave. I find the small area that is now going to be the three Claymore's temporary home, the fire gently cracking and popping inside the cave, and I sit down in front of my sword, leaning back against it, I close my eyes, and I force myself to sleep, resting my mind and my body, for the long and dangerous journey ahead of me…

The next morning, I'm awake at sunrise, as are the other three Claymores as well. I give them all a good bye and I wish them all luck, should they choose to assist me in my endeavor against the organization, or whatever path they choose in life. I leave the cave early in the morning, and I walk down the mountain path, walking slowly, my mind goes over my options, and what I'm beginning to do, and the consequences of my actions today, and what that will mean in the future…

_I'm allowing three people I was ordered to kill to live, and not only that, I'm asking them if they'll assist me in a crusade against the organization to try and punish the very people who gave me my powers, my strength, and a purpose. Even now, nothing is stopping me from turning around and walking back up this path, entering that cave and killing the three of them in cold blood. Sure, they've all begun to recover from the wounds given to them by the Awakened being, and the fight would force me to Awaken, but I could still kill them, carry out my orders with swift efficiency, and return to the organization with a truthful report of mission accomplished…_

_ No, I can't do that to them. Those girls don't deserve to die, and all of them deserve to get revenge on the organization for just throwing them out like that without even telling them. The organization deserves to suffer, and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens…_

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and I continue down the path, my feet ringing out over and over again against the dirt, my armored feet making a reassuring clanking noise as I walk. I walk for over an hour, and I finally return to the village of Hyle. When I arrive, the villagers immediately notice me, and the fact that my clothing is tattered and torn, and one of them, an older man approaches me slowly.

"Um, excuse me…" He begins, calling to me from behind me.

I stop and half turn my head, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"The Yoma in the mountains, you went to kill it, correct?"

I nod, knowing what the man wants to know, but I'm not going to volunteer the information, I wasn't told to do so…

"Is it dead, can we resume mining the mountains?" He asks.

"The Yoma is dead." I tell him simply. "There is nothing keeping you from working in the mines."

I can almost see his mood improve, and he bows thankfully.

"Thank you so much!" He says. "You don't know what this means to our town!"

I shrug.

"I don't care, I didn't do this to save your pathetic village, and I only did it because I was ordered to." I tell him.

I walk away without another word, and I feel the cold shell reforming around my heart, as if all the goodness I was showing toward the other 3 Claymores really doesn't exist at all, and I don't think about that, just acting the way I was trained to act, cold and emotionless, a ruthless killing machine.

_For the next 2 months, I'm going to have to act that way, to be what they trained me to be, after that, everything will depend on what those three say…_

_ I cannot tell that human girl about any of this, and I cannot let her find out about any of this, if she were to hear about it, the organization could tempt her with turning her into a Claymore, and she would tell them in a moment…_

I walk toward the INN I put her up in, and I walk inside, the Innkeeper recognizes me immediately…

"Oh, so you've returned for that girl you left here?" He asks.

I nod.

"Is she in the room?" I ask.

The Innkeeper nods.

"She's been rather busy…" He mutters. "She's been in and out of here ever since you left, and recently returned with a sack over her left shoulder, when I asked what was in it, she said that it was full of traveling supplies."

I nod.

"Thank you for your work in housing her while I was gone." I say in an almost automatic response. "The two of us will be leaving today, so your responsibility ends now."

I walk away from the man and head for the stairs, only to hear him speak up from behind me.

"Um, you paid for a whole week in advance, if you leave now…"

"Keep the money." I tell him. "I have no need for it."

I don't need to look over my shoulder to see his face light up when I tell him to keep the gold.

"Yes ma'am, the customer is always right!" He says without a second thought.

I scoff inwardly and walk up the stairs, my metal boots clanging and making a strange noise against the wooden steps. I find the room given to Kina quickly, and I open the door without even knocking, manners long since lost on me.

I see her inside the room, lying on the single bed, looking up at the ceiling. When she hears the door open, she sits up and turns toward the door, spotting me, she jumps from the bed and rushes toward me, tackling me and wrapping her arms around me. With my strength, her tackle doesn't even faze me…

"You came back, Lucia!" She yells in happiness as she holds me.

"What are you doing?" I ask in a deadpan tone, and she immediately starts in surprise, and then releases me, moving back a step…

"It's just well, I thought that you wouldn't return, and you'd leave me here, and I would never be able to become a Claymore."

I shake my head in disgust.

"I don't know what your fascination with us is, but there are other ways of becoming a Claymore other then following me around." I tell her. "And besides that, I told you I would return within a week, and I have."

"What happened to you?" She asks, her eyes scanning me up and down. "You look like your clothes have been ripped apart."

"I suffered a minor wound during my fight against the Yoma in the mountains, it has since healed."

"Well, why are your sleeves and pants legs gone as well?"

"It's part of the job." I tell her, turning around. "Come on, we're leaving, we have no more business in this town."

"What?" I hear her ask in disbelief. "But you paid for the whole week…"

I turn and look at her sternly.

"I paid for the week to house YOU while I was gone, since the job is done and I've returned from it, there is no need for you to remain here any more, that is, if you're still set on following me."

She nods, and I see her move to the far side of the bed, grasping something there, she picks up a heavy duty leather sack with a brown draw string at the top and slings it over her left shoulder, holding it there with a single hand.

"Are you sure you can travel at your normal pace with that?" I ask her. "You slow me down enough as it is, I won't put up with an even slower pace, and neither will the organization."

She nods.

"I'll be fine; I've been practicing, so you don't need to worry."

"Fine…" I say, ending the conversation, and I put my back to her. "Let's go, we're wasting time."

She doesn't argue, and before the long the two of us are on the town's main street, walking away from the mountains, heading toward the open wilderness. We walk for half a day before I start to notice her beginning to tire, and since I don't have a job, I stop amidst the forest we both find ourselves in.

"We'll make camp here." I tell her.

She nods, and working together, the two of us get a camp site set up and a fire ready. Before long, she has some sort of cured meat cooking over a fire, the smell wafting into my nostrils…

"I take it you bought that from a merchant?"

She nods.

"I would hope you paid for it."

She smiles.

"After you left, I went out into the village and found some work." She says. "I made myself a few coins worth and I spent it on these supplies."

"If you were a Claymore, you wouldn't need any supplies, and hardly have to eat."

She nods.

"Yes, but I'm not half Yoma, unlike you, so I need to eat daily."

I close my eyes and I put my head against my sword, resting in the most comfortable position I can find…

"You should get some sleep." I tell her. "I'll probably have a job tomorrow, so we'll have a long day." I finish, opening my one eye.

She nods, and I see her stretch out on a blanket she had in the sack, and I smile at the human's resourcefulness. Her new clothing fits her mood, and she seems to like it, the skirt and sleeveless shirt serving their purpose well…

After maybe 20 minutes, she's out like a light, and I open my right eye, standing up, I walk into the forest, heading toward my meeting with my contact from the Organization, having spotted him trailing me over three hours ago…

I see him waiting in the jungle, wrapped in his usual black robes; I stop with 5 feet between us.

"I take it your job was a success?" He asks, and I nod.

"The three other warriors and I encountered the Awakened One and fought it, however, the other three were all killed during the battle, and I had to Awaken to kill it."

He waves his right hand in dismissal.

"Those are all acceptable loses." He tells me.

His left hand goes into his robes, and he grasps something there. He withdraws his hand and I see it's a new shirt and pants, obviously meant to replace my current clothes.

"Here…" He begins. "We believed you might have had to Awaken, so we were prepared with a spare set of clothes."

I take them from him, and I disrobe right in front of him, shucking the armor and everything else I'm wearing, eventually I stand before him in the nude, and his face remains cold, showing no emotion or even a small reaction as I dress myself in front of him. As I finish dressing, I see that the clothing I've been given has black arms and legs, and is form fitting on my chest, and made of a black material different from what my old clothes were made of…

"The Organization decided that you'll be wearing that from now on." He tells me. "With this, you can awaken and not ruin your clothing, saving on the amount of money spent replacing your clothes."

When all is said and done, and I'm wearing the armor as well, I look the same as I did before, save for the base color of my uniform is black, and I seem to give off a much darker image now.

"What about my back?" I ask. "I always poke two holes near my shoulder blades when I awaken."

He shrugs.

"The cape will cover that, and it isn't as though people are trying to look at you naked."

I nod my agreement; most men find a Claymore's body disgusting because of the disfiguring the process puts on us.

"Your new clothes will also give you complete freedom of movement as well."

"I had no problems with the old ones." I respond.

He shrugs.

"Either way, it isn't as though you have a choice in this matter." He tells me. "You will wear this, if not, then you can wear nothing at all."

"I know that…" I tell him, gritting my teeth and trying to hide it. "What's my next job?"

"You'll be going after a rogue warrior." He says. "From 2 generations ago, to be precise."

I raise my eyebrows.

_2 generations, that's at least 14 years ago…_

"That's a long time…" I point out. "Why is it that she went rogue that long ago, and you're still trying to eliminate her?"

"She's rather gifted when it comes to hiding." He says. "Plus, her strength was that of the Number 4 when she was with us." He tells me. "However, your power dwarfs hers, and you'll be able to defeat her."

_Why send me though, why not send the current number 4, instead of me? I can't ask that though, or he might suspect something…_

"Is there any other information?" I ask.

He reaches into a pocket on his pants, withdrawing a small piece of paper, he hands it to me. I don't see a seal on it, and I open it to see a small profile for a woman named Michelle…

"That's all the information on her you're going to need." He tells me. "It details her combat abilities and what you can expect from her." He says. "It also tells you of her last known location, you're to go there and begin your search, once you find her, you're to kill her."

I nod my acceptance of the orders.

"Do you have any questions?"

I nod again.

"I spent 600 on a room in the town of Hyle; I'll need some more money in case I need to incur the expense again."

"600?" He asks. "Why did you need a room in the town?"

I motion behind me.

"A human girl has attached herself to me." I tell him. "She was living in the village of Bast when I slayed the Yoma there, the life of a beggar." I tell him. "She followed me from the village, and I attempted to lose her several times, but she kept coming." I explain. "Because of the rule that says we cannot kill humans, and because people saw her follow me, I would be blamed if she were allowed to die, even though I did nothing to kill her."

He sighs, reaching into his robes, he grasps another object, removing a brown bag and opening the draw string. He reaches inside, and I hear a metallic clinking that sounds like coins hitting together. His hand emerges holding several gold coins of varying value…

"Will this be enough to last you?" He asks.

I quickly count up the money, and I see it's over 800, and I nod.

"That will do fine."

I get my money bag from within my clothing and I put the coins in it, sliding the bag back down inside my clothing to conceal it and keep it safe…

"If there's nothing else then…" He says. "The Organization looks forward to a successful report from you, as always."

With that, he disappears into the forest, leaving me with alone, wearing my new clothes, and I can't help but feel weird in the all black outfit…

I walk back to the camp site, and I see Kina still lying in the same spot she was when she fell asleep, and I sigh heavily as I shuck the armor, resting my back against the sword I left stuck in the ground.

_How I wish I could live like that, without a care in the world…_

I close my eyes and I drift off to a light sleep, knowing that tomorrow, I'll have a long day ahead of me…

I never really get the chance to fall asleep, because 10 minutes after I close my eyes, my sensitive ears pick up strange sounds that don't belong there, the sounds of movement in the forest, of feet sliding quietly against the grass. If I concentrate, I can feel the slight vibrations the humans make as they move, surrounding Kina and I. I can smell their scent as well, and I can pick up at least 7 different scents around me, all of them male…

I open my eyes, and I stand up quickly, and I hear the men shout, barreling through the bushes and into the small clearing, all of them leveling swords as my right hand rests on my own blade, clutching the hilt, the tip still stuck in the ground…

"At ah ha…" One of them says in scolding, and as I look around, I see that there are only 7 of them, and not a trace of Yoki between them, none of them even smelling remotely like a Yoma…

_I can't hurt them, or I'll be hunted down by the organization…_

"Lucia…" I hear Kina ask, and I turn to see her sitting up, and looking around, obviously now aware of the people around us.

"Hey boss, it's a Claymore!" One of them points out, and I hear Kina scream, running toward me and wrapping her arms around me, holding onto me for dear life.

"What do you want?" I ask them, glaring at the one that flinched when he heard 'Hey Boss' from the other bandit.

The leader is apparently a scruffy looking older man, wearing a bandana on his head, and missing several teeth. He's dressed in animal hide armor, and holds a normal sized broadsword in his right hand.

"I want whatever you have to offer…" He begins. "Any valuables you got and you're actually not that bad looking…"

I raise my eyebrows.

"You WANT this body?" I ask. "You've got to be joking."

He smiles.

"You're a pretty woman, and I'd rather have you then that kid."

Kina clutches me even tighter at the comment, and I know she's scarred…

_Damn, if only she hadn't insisted on following me, if only I was alone, I'd simply let these bastards have their way with me and send them on their way, but now I can tell that they aren't just interested in me anymore, if I just let them do what they want, they'll rape Kina too…_

The thought of that makes me want to vomit, and for the life of me, I can't figure out WHY…

My feet shift against the ground, and I know the moment I attack, they'll pounce on Kina, use her as a shield to try and force me into submission…

_I'm running out of options…_

"Well Claymore, you just going to stand there, or you going to take those annoying clothes off?"

I glance around, and seeing the expressions on the faces of his subordinates, I can tell they're thinking of what they're going to do to Kina…

My hand moves toward the sword, and then suddenly I feel a Yoki approaching my position quickly. Before I can open my mouth to warn the bandits, I see a flash of light shoot upward, bisecting the bandit leader. I watch as the glint of light moves around behind the bandits, the light flicking through their bodies. I see blood spurt from the wounds inflicted by the long sword, and I realize that a Claymore has just saved me and Kina from the bandits, murdering them as if they were nothing but fodder…

When the last of the blood drips from the human bodies, I see a figure emerge from the shadows of the forest, holding a 5 and half foot long curved sword. I recognize the construction from paintings of old warriors, a single edged curved sword with a round cross guard. The sword itself is made for a single killing blow, and was difficult to master…

"What are you doing here?" The Claymore asks, holding her sheathed sword in her left hand.

"If you are who I think you are, then you know why I'm here." I tell her.

She nods.

"You must be from the organization…" She tells me. "If that's the case, then you're here to silence me."

I lock my eyes on her, and then I speak to Kina…

"Kina, I need you to get away from me for a while." I tell her. "Walk away until you can't see me anymore, walk straight, and I'll come find you."

The girl opens her mouth to argue, but then she just nods, walking off into the forest, I memorize the path she takes into the forest, and I put my attention back on the other Claymore.

"So, why didn't you kill me?" I ask. "If you know why I'm here, then you could've just sliced me apart like you did those bandits."

She shakes her head.

"When I first saw you, I thought about it, but then I saw you protecting that human, and something stopped me." She tells me. "No matter, it's obvious to me you aren't set on killing me." She begins. "Otherwise, you would've killed me while I was attacking those bandits."

I nod, telling her that I'm not here to kill her, at least, if I don't HAVE to.

"I was ordered to kill you, so it's convenient that you came to me, but I have other plans for the organization." I tell her. "I'm not just some lapdog that blindly obeys their orders, they've taken my life away from me, and I'm not going to let them continue to do this to other people." I finish.

She shakes her head, sighing heavily.

"You want to bring down the organization, so you're remaining within it, trying to bide your time and find the right moment?"

I nod.

"I have three others, and they're with me on my plan to stop the organization, and bring them down once and for all."

"You don't understand…" Michelle begins. "The Organization, what you do protects human lives, even if the organization is wrong, what they send you do to is right, to save human lives with your strength isn't a fool's errand, Yoma will continue to kill, and without the Organization and their warriors, they'll be nothing to stop the Yoma from plaguing the world."

I shake my head.

"There will be Claymores." I tell her. "Those that are left after the destruction of the Organization will be united under the flag of protecting humanity, of using their powers for a good purpose."

She sighs heavily, shaking her head in disgust at the thought.

"We will never be united like that." She tells me. "Our kind can only be held together by something like the organization, your plan is foolish, and it will never work."

I shake my head.

"What makes you so sure?" I ask. "How can you deny the truth to my claim?" I ask.

"I've seen two generations of Claymores…" She tells me. "And in those 14 long years, nothing has changed, and nothing ever will." She finishes.

"Then help me change things." I plead with her. "We can use your power."

Her hand drifts to the sword in her left hand. I see the glint of the blade, and I shake my head, reaching for the sword stabbed into the ground. She draws the blade as I pull my own sword from the ground, and I block her strike, the blade moving like a blur of light. I knock her sword away, and I strike, swinging the blade with nearly the same speed as her own…

Our weapons clang out as the blades meet, and we both push against each other, eventually leaping away from each other, ending the stalemate. We charge for each other like two bulls, and I see her sheath her sword, and then draw it, the blade speed increasing to incredible levels, even for a Claymore…

I manage to block her swing, spinning to push her sword off of my own, and I attack, bringing my sword down in front of me, trying to cleave her in half. She uses her sword to stop the slash, the attack stopping just above her head with the back of her sword less then an inch from her face.

"We don't have to do this…" I tell her as I push against her sword. "You could join us, and I could hide you."

She shakes her head, grasping the sword near the tip by the back of the sword, still holding the sheath in her left hand. She pushes my blade to the side, causing me to overextend and nearly go off balance.

I leap back as her attack goes up in front of me, the blade speed slower then when she attacked from the sword resting in sheath…

"You cannot hide from the organization, I've heard this all before!" She tells me, sheathing her sword.

I land on my feet and hold the blade in front of me…

She charges, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, and I see her move in a blur of speed, and my eyes can track her movements, seeing them more for the Yoki she's releasing as she moves at the inhuman speed, rather then follow her physical movements. I spin to the left and raise my sword, feeling the impact of her blade as she stops where I sensed her Yoki, and our swords cross.

"What makes you think I can't succeed?" I ask her, glaring into her eyes, seeing them gleam yellow, telling me she's releasing her Yoma powers…

"Because I said the same things, and I tried to bring the organization down!" She admits. "I failed, just like you did, and now look at me!" She tells me, pressing her sword harder against mine. "I'm a rogue claymore, doomed to never be accepted, and forever teeter on the edge of awakening and killing people!"

I shake my head.

"You haven't failed anything!' I yell; pushing her off of my sword, the strength in my arms increasing as the skin turns purple…

She lands on her feet, and eyes my arms…

"Your arms…" She mutters. "They look like a Yoma's…"

I nod, looking at her with silver eyes.

"This is my power…" I begin. "I can awaken parts of my body, or completely awaken and totally transform…" I tell her. "With this power, I'm going to bring down the organization."

She seems to stop in her tracks, sheathing her sword, and then staring at her as the reality of my powers hits her.

"With that strength…" She mutters, looking down at her right palm.

I pull myself back to sanity, my arms returning to their normal state…

"I need your help." I tell her. "With your knowledge of the organization and your previous attempt, we could learn from you."

She shakes her head.

"Each generation should make its own mistakes…" She tells me. "I will only give you this advice' do not underestimate the organization's number 1." She tells me. "That was the mistake I made, and I've had to suffer for it every day of my cursed life since then."

"You expect me to kill you?" I ask her. "Because I refuse to…"

She shakes her head.

"To be honest, I've been on the verge of awakening for some time now…" She begins. "You could consider it a favor from me to you to strike me down now, before I lose myself to the Yoma power within…"

I shake my head in denial.

"As long as you don't use your Yoma powers, you won't awaken." I tell her. "You can come with us, act as an advisor, I won't make you do any fighting."

She sighs heavily.

"Even if I did come with you, there is little I can help you with." She tells me. "The organization's hierarchy changed much after what I attempted." She explains. "My knowledge is all but useless, and my body is getting weak, my humanity waning."

I tighten the grip on the sword, holding the blade at my side.

"So, I ask you; kill me while I still have a shred of humanity left, let me pass on as a human, not as a monster."

I nod, approaching her slowly, and she kneels down, bowing her head and exposing her neck.

"I will leave you my sword…" She says. "If you can learn to master a high speed slash attack, then you'll be able to learn to use it."

I nod.

"I can't use it, but I know someone who can…"

She nods once, and I bring my blade down, hearing the wet noise of my sword separating her head from her neck, followed by a sick thump as her head falls to the ground…


End file.
